Santa Rosa Symphony Reschedules All Spring Concerts, Compensates musicians now to ease their financial hardship
The Santa Rosa Symphony Board of Directors, in response to county and state health agencies' shelter-in-place orders, and for the safety and health of its patrons, musicians and staff in this daily evolving situation, has postponed all of its remaining 2019-2020 concerts. These include two Classical Series sets, one Family Series concert and one Pops concert.
The Santa Rosa Symphony Association’s Board of Directors, via a video conference on Tuesday, March 24, confirmed the new dates as follows:
- Showcasing Contemporary Women: rescheduled from March 21-23 to June 6, 7 & 8, 2020
- Beethoven Lives Upstairs: rescheduled from April 19 to June 14, 2020
- Visions of Hope: rescheduled from May 2-4 to July 11, 12 & 13, 2020
- Remember When Rock Was Young – the Elton John Tribute Symphony Pops: rescheduled from April 26 to August 9, 2020
The programming for these concerts is unchanged, with the exception of Music Director Francesco Lecce-Chong stepping in to conduct Showcasing Contemporary Women.
The Santa Rosa Santa Youth Orchestra concert on May 9, 2020 has been cancelled and will not be rescheduled.
Ticket holder information is covered at the bottom of this release.
"We are thrilled to be able to reschedule all of these concerts. It is a way forward through this challenging situation and one that will best provide for our subscribers, patrons, musicians and staff," said Symphony President and CEO Alan Silow.
“In these uncertain times, it is more important than ever to have beauty in our lives—especially as we are unable to join together in person to experience art,” said Lecce-Chong.
Most importantly, the Santa Rosa Symphony recognizes that many of its musicians are experiencing financial hardship due to the widespread concert cancellations throughout the Bay Area. In that light, the Symphony Board of Directors has approved an unprecedented plan which guarantees that any musician, who was hired by Santa Rosa Symphony to perform services in March, April or May 2020, will be paid promptly for those services, even though the work itself will happen at a later date.
"I am grateful for the leadership of our Board and the long-standing generosity of our patrons, both of which will allows us to provide immediate financial assistance to lessen the economic challenges that our fine, professional musicians currently face," said Silow.
Santa Rosa Symphony’s Board of Directors and staff leadership continue to closely monitor this very fluid and unprecedented situation, and will communicate clearly, promptly and directly with patrons, if there are any new developments or changes. The Symphony staff are working from their homes and retrieving mail, which has included many subscription renewals, a bright spot that further underscores the value of what the Symphony offers—especially during uncertain times.
“As many other organizations and musicians are doing, Santa Rosa Symphony is turning to technology to stay connected with our patrons," added Lecce-Chong. "I’ve started hosting regular 'Watch Parties' on my Facebook page, where we can all hang out and experience great performances together. My fiancée Chloe and I are also creating music education videos, which are great for parents and children to do together at home.”
The Symphony invites patrons to follow its Facebook page, visit its website and sign up for its email list (via the website) to stay informed about Lecce-Chong's Facebook Watch Parties, detailed concert information, summer offerings, education opportunities, the new season and more. In addition, COVID-19 updates are posted at https://www.srsymphony.org/Plan-Your-Visit/Coronavirus.
Ticket holder information
Patrons with tickets for the originally scheduled concert dates should retain them for use on the new dates. If ticket holders are unable to attend on the new date, they may choose from the following options:
Request a Donation Receipt. The ticket payment may be converted to a tax-deductible donation to Santa Rosa Symphony. This helps the organization, a nonprofit, navigate this challenging time, so that it can continue to support our musicians suffering severe financial hardship, remain financially viable and continue to bring the joy of classical music to this community. The donation receipt must be requested by the Thursday prior to the new concert date.
Request a Ticket Voucher. The ticket voucher will be of equal value to the purchased tickets. Subscribers may use the voucher to bring friends next season. Single-ticket buyers may enjoy any Symphony Classical Series concert of their choosing in the 2020-2021 Season. All vouchers will be mailed in August and may be redeemed beginning August 10, 2020. The voucher must be requested by the Thursday prior to the new concert date.
Request a Gift Certificate. The value of the concert ticket(s) may be applied to a gift certificate. Gift Certificates never expire and may be used towards a season renewal or purchase of tickets for any Santa Rosa Symphony concert. Gift certificates must be requested by the Thursday prior to the new concert date.
Pops ticket holders will need to contact the Luther Burbank Center's box office at (707) 546-3600 or lutherburbankcenter.org.