“The Cleveland Orchestra has canceled its tour of Europe and the Middle East on account of growing risk associated with coronavirus,” writes Zachary Lewis in Monday’s (3/9) Plain Dealer (Cleveland). “On Monday, the group announced that after careful consideration of news reports and advice from health experts, it has decided not embark next week on a tour slated to include concerts in Austria, France, and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. ‘The health and well-being of our musicians, staff, and patrons are our absolute priority,’ said André Gremillet, the orchestra’s president and chief executive…. The decision was not unexpected. As the number of confirmed coronavirus cases increased, many large-scale events in Europe and the UAE were called off or postponed…. The trip, slated for late March into April, was to include four concerts with music director Franz Welser-Möst in Abu Dhabi and returns to Paris, Vienna, and Linz. The Abu Dhabi concerts would have been the orchestra’s first appearances in the Middle East.… How the orchestra will occupy the newly free time remains to be seen. In its statement Monday, the orchestra said it would be announcing alternative plans ‘in the coming days.’ ”
The League of American Orchestras is posting information about COVID-19 preparedness as a service to the orchestra field. Find resources, guidance, and updates on the League’s coronavirus preparedness site.