WS Chronicle

The Winston-Salem Symphony is committed to the health and safety of everyone in our community. In accordance with the latest recommendations from the CDC and to assist in the containment efforts and support the well-being of our community, patrons, and musicians, the Symphony has decided to postpone or cancel all remaining concerts through May 31.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting all sectors of society emotionally, physically, and financially, with the arts being heavily affected,” said E. Merritt Vale, Winston-Salem Symphony president & CEO. “The Winston-Salem Symphony is definitely feeling the impact. We have had to cancel seven concerts that were scheduled to take place between now and May 31, 2020. This poses significant financial challenges for us and has a tremendous effect, not only on our staff and organization, but also on our musicians, many of whom have effectively lost all sources of income for the foreseeable future. Our board and staff are working diligently to ensure that we are being good financial stewards of the Symphony during this difficult time. All six members of the Symphony’s leadership team have volunteered to accept a 15% reduction in pay for two months to help our organization weather the storm.”

“Many patrons have asked how they can help,” Vale continued. “Ticket holders have the opportunity to return their ticket as a donation. These ticket donations will be used to help support the Symphony’s musicians and the organization during this exceptionally challenging time. Subscribing now to the 2020–21 season and supporting the Symphony through our Crescendo Campaign (annual fund) are also ways to help. We are fully aware that everyone is facing significant challenges during this pandemic and our hearts go out to all affected. We are all in this together and together we will prevail.”

The following concerts have been rescheduled:

*The Classic Series concert cycle entitled Beethoven Celebration that was scheduled to take place on Sunday, April 5, and Tuesday, April 7, will now take place on Saturday, July 18, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, July 19, 2020 at 3 p.m. at the Stevens Center of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, 405 West Fourth Street in downtown Winston-Salem. Tickets for the Tuesday, April 7 concert will be exchanged for the Saturday, July 18 concert. 

*The Music Lovers’ Luncheon scheduled for Friday, April 3 has been cancelled and is expected to be rescheduled closer to the new concert date in July.

*The Pops Series concert entitled Free Fallin’: The Music of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers that was to take place on Saturday, April 18 has been rescheduled to Friday, September 18, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. at Reynolds Auditorium, 301 N. Hawthorne Road in Winston-Salem.

*The Symphony Unbound concert featuring Dan Tyminski that was to occur on Saturday, May 9 has been rescheduled to Friday, September 4 at 8 p.m. at the Ramkat, which is located at 170 West 9th Street.

*The Winston-Salem Symphony Youth Orchestras Program Spring Finale scheduled for May 11 at 7 p.m. has been cancelled. The Symphony is working on rescheduling an alternative/multi-level playing experience for Youth Orchestras Program musicians on July 18. Further information on this concert will be announced as plans progress.

 The following concerts have been cancelled:

*“Music Explorers! Discovering Music Around the World” that was scheduled to take place on Sunday, April 19, has been cancelled. An exciting new “Ignite” Family Series is launching this coming fall and ticket holders for “Music Explorers”! have the option to exchange their tickets for one of the Ignite concerts. 

*The next sensory friendly concert will be “Babar Comes to Winston-Salem” on November 1, 2020 at 3 p.m. at the Hanes Auditorium at Salem College. Ticket holders may also choose from two additional “Ignite” concerts: “Piece of the Puzzle” on February 7, 2021 at 3 p.m. and “My Great Orchestral Adventure” on May 9, 2021 at 3 p.m., both of which will take place at R.J. Reynolds Auditorium. More information on this wonderful new series can be found at wssymphony.org/season2021/.

*The P.L.A.Y. Music Spring Seminario, featuring the talented young students of the Winston-Salem Symphony’s Piedmont Learning Academy for Youth Music (P.L.A.Y. Music) education program, that was to take place on May 4 at 6 p.m. has been cancelled.

*The Classic Series concert cycle entitled “Wagner’s Ring” that was slated to be performed on Sunday, May 3, at 3 p.m. and Tuesday, May 5, at 7:30 p.m. has been cancelled. The Music Lovers’ Luncheon scheduled for May 1 also has been cancelled. Ticket holders may exchange their tickets for another Classics concert during the 2020–21 season. 

*The Renaissance Concerto, by Lukas Foss, that was to be performed at the Wagner’s Ring concerts, will be presented next season as part of the Mahler’s Sixth Symphony Classics Series on November 14 at 7:30 p.m. and November 15, 2020 at 3 p.m. at the Stevens Center of the UNC School of the Arts. For more information about Mahler’s Sixth Symphony and all the classics concerts next season visit wssymphony.org/season2021/.

Ticket holders will receive an email with information regarding purchases. Ticket holders have the opportunity to return their ticket as a donation. All ticket donations will be used to help support the Symphony musicians and the organization during this time. Ticketholders may also exchange their tickets for another concert next season or receive a refund (refunds are offered for cancelled concerts only; they are not available for rescheduled concerts). The Symphony will also offer a tax letter in exchange for any ticket relinquished to the Symphony Box Office. All ticket donations, exchanges, and refunds must be made by April 20, 2020. For questions about ticketing options or other questions, or for the quickest response, please email boxoffice@wssymphony.org or call 336-464-0145.Voicemails left at the box office phone number will be returned on Tuesdays and Thursdays while Symphony staff are working remotely due to the COVID-19 situation.

For the most up-to-date Winston-Salem Symphony information related to COVID-19, please refer to the website at wssymphony.org/covid19/.