| A message from Mark Volpe, Eunice and Julian Cohen President and CEO of the Boston Symphony Orchestra; Andris Nelsons, The Ray and Maria Stata BSO Music Director; and Keith Lockhart, the Julian and Eunice Cohen Boston Pops Conductor, to our BSO Family: It is with great disappointment that we inform you the BSO and Boston Pops will not be performing for live audiences through April as a result of COVID-19-related restrictions. We deeply regret having to cancel the 2020 Holiday Pops series in December and the remaining 2020-21 BSO season through the winter and spring months. Though this news likely doesn’t come as a surprise — since the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact all our personal and professional lives — it is still a major loss for the organization and everyone who appreciates and cherishes the BSO and Boston Pops. One bright silver lining that has resulted from this challenging period has been the creation of a new library of audio and video material, helping millions in the music community of Boston and around the world get through this difficult time and the forced hiatus from the live concert experience. And while we eagerly await the end of that hiatus, we are also excited to be announcing a series of newly created online performances later this month; we feel great inspiration to continue creating new virtual offerings and look forward to sharing the full details of those performances with you soon. For our initial November and December digital performances we are thrilled to be able to focus on larger groups of musicians from the BSO and Boston Pops, featured in recorded performances from the stage of Symphony Hall for the first time since March, and including appearances by Keith Lockhart and by Andris Nelsons, when he returns to Boston in the new year. We are grateful and touched by the tremendous support we have received from the BSO’s devoted subscribers, donors, and sponsors, as well as the BSO’s board leadership, whose generosity has helped us to continue our compelling online content and to keep the staff and musicians active during these unprecedented times. As we navigate the extensive financial burdens presented by more than a year of concert cancellations, we will continue to rely on contributions from our dedicated supporters to ensure we will re-emerge from this pandemic vibrant and strong. All of us at the BSO and Boston Pops will continue to persevere and look forward to the time when we can welcome our dear music community, as well as newcomers, back to the hall to revel in the live concert experience like never before. Until then, we are committed to bringing our audiences new and exciting online performances by the BSO and Boston Pops, among many other wonderful highlights. Stay tuned for more details on October 28! Sincerely, Mark Volpe, Andris Nelsons, Keith Lockhart |
Boston Symphony & Pops Orchestras: A message from Mark Volpe, Andris Nelsons, and Keith Lockhart.
