Eugene Symphony reschedules concerts and continues to pay musicians
Posted on March 23, 2020
EUGENE, OR (Mar 23, 2020)— As local, regional, and nationwide precautions surrounding COVID-19 increase, including Gov. Kate Brown's executive order directing Oregonians to stay home as of earlier today, we are taking the necessary steps to reschedule our events while keeping the well-being of our musicians, staff, Board of Directors, patrons, and the larger community at the forefront of our decision-making.
The Executive Committee of Eugene Symphony Association’s Board of Directors and its administrative staff leadership met via a video conference call last Tuesday, March 17 to discuss recent developments and plans moving forward.
“At this time we remain committed to rescheduling rather than canceling our concerts,” says Board President David Pottinger. “We want to provide our community with hope, and something to look forward to in the future."
“We are also keenly aware that our musicians, who perform with many other ensembles outside of Eugene Symphony, have seen their incomes impacted by cancelled concerts,” says Executive Director Scott Freck. “We know that many of our musicians may be experiencing financial hardship, and so we have crafted our plans with this philosophy in mind: if musicians were hired by Eugene Symphony to perform services in March or April 2020, they will be paid for those services even though the work itself will not happen until a later date. I am grateful for the leadership of our Board and the generosity of our patrons, both of which have allowed us to make this financial decision.”
“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,” says Music Director & Conductor Francesco Lecce-Chong. “As many other organizations and musicians are doing, Eugene Symphony is turning to technology to stay connected with our patrons. I’ve started hosting regular “Watch Parties” on Facebook, 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.” For a schedule of online events, follow Eugene Symphony on Facebook www.facebook.com/EugeneSymphony or subscribe to Eugene Symphony’s enewsletter at the bottom of the home page of www.eugenesymphony.org.
CONCERT SCHEDULE CHANGES The following changes have occurred to Eugene Symphony’s 2019/20 season. Please note that the Symphonic series concert Bolero is still scheduled for Thursday, May 14 at 7:30 p.m.
- Elementary school Youth Concerts scheduled for Tuesday, March 17 are postponed. Eugene Symphony administration is working closely with local schools to make every effort to reschedule them before the end of the academic year, if possible.
- Symphonic series concert Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto rescheduled from Thursday, March 19 at 7:30 p.m. to Saturday, May 30 at 7:30 p.m.
- Symphonic series concert Beethoven’s Fifth rescheduled from Thursday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m. to Saturday, June 20 at 7:30 p.m.
- Family Concert Peter & the Wolf rescheduled from Sunday, April 26 to Sunday, June 21 at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m.
- As announced on March 12, pianist and songwriter Ben Folds postponed his national tour until later this calendar year. His originally scheduled appearance with Eugene Symphony on May 30 is now rescheduled for Friday, October 30, 2020 at 8 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase at eugenesymphony.org or by calling the Hult Center Ticket Office at 541-682-5000.
- The add-on experience “SymFest” that was originally planned in conjunction with the May 30 performance with Ben Folds will not be held on Friday, October 30. Patrons who added “SymFest” to their original purchase will be refunded or can choose to donate the $10 additional ticket price back to Eugene Symphony.
At this time, all program details remain as planned. Other events corresponding to the March 19 and April 23 concerts, such as Symphony Happy Hour, the Laura Avery Visiting Masters master class, Symphony Yoga, and Composer Matt Browne’s Residency Activities, are also postponed until the new concert week.
Patrons with tickets for the originally scheduled concert dates should retain them for use on the new dates. If you are not able to attend on the new date, please consider the following options:
- Call the Hult Center Ticket Office at 541-682-5000 to exchange to another Eugene Symphony event.
- Donate the value of your ticket as a tax-creditable contribution to the Eugene Symphony. Please contact the Hult Center Ticket Office at 541-682-5000 to utilize this option.
- Give your tickets to a family member, friend, colleague or neighbor who can attend on the new date.
Additionally, the 2020/21 Season Release Party for current Symphony subscribers originally scheduled for Tuesday, March 24 has been postponed until further notice. Subscribers should watch their email inbox for 2020/21 season sneak previews and more information to come.
As Eugene Symphony’s Board of Directors and staff leadership continue to monitor the current landscape and navigate these uncharted waters, they will communicate clearly and directly with patrons if any further changes occur. Information related to these developments is also being posted at eugenesymphony.org.
About Eugene Symphony Now in its 54th season, the Eugene Symphony is a nonprofit and 83-member orchestra based in Eugene, Oregon. Led by Music Director & Conductor Francesco Lecce-Chong, Eugene Symphony reaches more than 40,000 adults and children annually with live music performances. Recognized as a cornerstone of the performing arts in Oregon's southern Willamette Valley, Eugene Symphony pursues its mission of enriching lives through the power of music by presenting annual classical and pops concerts, as well as music education and community engagement programs, regularly commissioning and premiering new American works, and disseminating its performances via radio broadcasts and recordings. More at eugenesymphony.org. ###