COVID Information for Orchestras!

This section includes information about ICSOM member orchestras' status and information, including resources and links that will be updated as information becomes available during the COVID-19 crisis.

Downloads

Wind Musicians' Risk Assessment in the Time of COVID-19
article by Adam T. Schwalje MD, DMA and Henry T. Hoffman MD
Orchestral Safety Plans: A First Look by Kevin Case, ICSOM Counsel
Senza Sordino article that will be included in the August issue (posted 6/29/2020)
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San Francisco Symphony Orchestra

In the News

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is seeing concert attendance rebound to near pre-pandemic levels, with an average 80% of the hall full for each classical concert in the 2022/23 season, plus a record number of new ticket buyers. Read more here.

The Cleveland Orchestra reported a balanced budget for the fourth year in a row and announced their new Mandel Opera & Humanities Festival, beginning in May 2023. Read more here.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra is traveling to Japan for its first international tour since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the four-city, six-concert tour, the BSO will be the first American orchestra to visit Japan since pre-pandemic times. Read more here.

The Philadelphia Orchestra cancels its upcoming 50th-anniversary China tour. Read more here.

In August, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will resume international touring for the first time in three years, with three weeks of concerts in Europe. Read more here.

The New York Philharmonic is restoring the salaries of its musicians to pre-pandemic levels as it prepares to return to Lincoln Center's Geffen Hall for the 2022-23 season. Read more here.

The Grant Park Orchestra kicks off its first full 10-week season since 2019, the entirety of which will offer free admission and the majority of which will take place at Pritzker Pavilion at Chicago’s Millennium Park. Read more here.

The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s Symphony on the Prairie summer series returns to Conner Prairie Amphitheatre starting June 24. Read more here.

An iconic New York summer experience since it began in 1965, the New York Philharmonic’s Concert In The Parks returns this week after being canceled for two years because of the pandemic. Read more here.

The Nashville Symphony's free community concerts are back. Read more here.

For the first time since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the New York Philharmonic traveled abroad, playing three concerts at Germany's Usedom Music Festival in a location where Nazi weapons of terror were built. Read more here.

More than 30 members of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus and the Boston Symphony Orchestra tested positive for COVID-19 following a recent performance in Boston. Read more here.

The Boston Symphony cancels its European tour over virus concerns. Read more here.

The New York Philharmonic announces their residency at Germany’s Usedom Music Festival this spring. Read more here.

The New York Philharmonic will open the newly-renovated David Geffen Hall two years ahead of schedule. Read more here.

In light of what this past year held, I'm very pleased with the substantial progress we've made towards decreasing the size of our operating loss while also increasing our net assets. Minnesota Orchestra President and CEO Michelle Miller Burns. Read more here.

Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra receives $150,000 from the NEA through American Rescue Plan. Read more here.

Officials with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra feared Omicron would dent sales. In the end, 80% of tickets for its January concerts were sold. Read more here.

New York City Ballet and the Philadelphia Orchestra will return to Saratoga Performing Arts Center for summer residencies. Read more here.

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s 2022 digital concerts, featuring full orchestra performances, will be released every month from January through May. Read more here.

The Boston Symphony has announced its upcoming 2022 Tanglewood season with performances June 17 through September 4. Read more here.

The Philadelphia Orchestra returns to touring for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Read more here.

Striking musicians propose a new offer to the San Antonio Symphony. Read more here.

The Grant Park Music Festival announced its 2022 season, running from June 15 to August 20, with a return to a 10-week season with full chorus and orchestra and plans to present 6 world-premieres. Read more here.

The New Jersey Symphony presents January concerts, including the Symphony's annual Lunar New Year celebration. Read more here.

The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra will continue their 2021-22 season with over 40 upcoming performances in the new year. Read more here.

The Columbus Symphony Orchestra returns in-person for their annual Russian Winter Festival. Read more here.

In what most would agree was, at best, a bumpy and unpredictable year, San Diego’s classical-music scene not only prevailed but flourished. Read more here.

The Nutcracker, an American holiday tradition that began in San Francisco, has returned to the live stage for a full run this holiday season. Read more here.

The cities need to stop looking at their performing arts centers as profit centers. They need to start looking at them as community assets. Mark Cantrell, President and CEO/The Florida Orchestra. Read more here.

The musicians of the Nashville Symphony have been named the organization’s 2021 Harmony Award recipients and will be honored at the symphony’s 75th anniversary concert. Read more here.

During a year when it didn't sell tickets, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra still balanced its budget. Read more here.

We are constantly struggling because the priorities are not set right in San Antonio. But now is the time to change the pattern. It's now or never. Former San Antonio Symphony Music Director Sebastian Lang-Lessing, regarding the ongoing SAS strike. Read more here.

The Phoenix Symphony is eager to serenade concertgoers after their pandemic silence. Read more here.

This week marks the return of The Nutcracker for the Musicians of the New York City Ballet Orchestra. Read more here.

I cannot sit on stage in my chair knowing that 26 of my colleagues lost their jobs just so I could hold onto two-thirds of mine. Mary Ellen Goree, Committee Chair/San Antonio Symphony Musicians. Read more here.

The Cleveland Orchestra expands COVID-19 safety policy for 2021 Holiday Concerts to include antigen tests. Read more here.

The Cleveland Orchestra announced that it has balanced its books for the third year in a row. Read more here.

San Francisco Ballet will resume live performances of The Nutcracker for the holidays. Read more here.

The Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra tunes up for its long-awaited return to indoor venues. Read more here.

The Kennedy Center has not hosted an opera for 19 months due to the pandemic. This weekend, the Washington National Opera finally returns. Read more here.

The Washington National Opera is set to present Come Home: A Celebration of Return in November. Read more here.

The Musical Arts Association, which operates The Cleveland Orchestra, will receive an additional $2 million from the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program, bringing its total to $8 million. Read more here.

After a 572-day closure, Carnegie Hall reopens with a concert by the Philadelphia Orchestra. Read more here.

After an 18-month pause for the pandemic, the Alabama Symphony Orchestra returns to live concerts. Read more here.

The Houston Symphony and its musicians sign a landmark five-year contract. Read more here.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra made a celebratory return to Symphony Hall. Read more here.

The Louisville Orchestra performed at the Kentucky Center for the first time in over a year. Read more here.

Click here to read the Op-Ed in the San Antonio Report by ICSOM Chairperson Meredith Snow in support of the San Antonio Symphony musicians.

Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and its musicians agree to a new two-year contract. Read more here.

The Musicians of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra have announced the ratification of three-year contracts with the Kennedy Center and the Washington National Opera. Read more here.

The Grand Rapids Symphony announces its 2021-22 season. Read more here.

Musicians of the San Antonio Symphony unanimously reject management’s new cost-cutting contract. Read more here.

The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra hosts its first full-capacity concert in Bass Hall since the start of the pandemic. Read more here.

American’s oldest orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, returned to Lincoln Center 556 days after its last performance there. Read more here.

A new three-year labor agreement is reached for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra musicians. Read more here.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra kicks off its 2021-22 season. Read more here.

The San Antonio Symphony proposes cutting the size of its orchestra by almost half. Read more here.

Jaap van Zweden to step down as the New York Philharmonic’s Music Director. Read more here.

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra rehearsed together for the first time in 18 months. Read more here.

The Phoenix Symphony has announced its 2021-22 season in celebration of its 75th anniversary. Read more here.

The 2021-22 season of the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra will prominently feature works by Puerto Rican musicians. Read more here.

The Grand Rapids Symphony and its musicians have agreed to a new two-year collective bargaining agreement, in place until 2023. Read more here.

The Oregon Symphony gave its first performance in nearly 18 months. Read more here.

Musicians of the San Antonio Symphony characterize the proposed 2021-22 season base salary of $17,710, dropped from the originally-agreed upon $35,774 annual salary, as poverty-level wages. Read more here.

The Columbus Symphony aims to brighten their community with We Are Here For You campaign. Read more here.

What to look forward to in the San Francisco Opera’s 2021 fall season. Read more here.

From the MET Orchestra Musicians: An agreement has been reached and we commence rehearsals August 30. We are filled with gratitude for all of you who have supported our musicians over the last 17 months. Read more here.

Returning to the stage for first time in 20 months, the San Francisco Opera opened its 99th season with Puccini’s Tosca, its first production when it opened in the newly-built War Memorial building in 1932 during the lows of the Great Depression. Read more here.

Carnegie Hall returns to in-person concerts with a lot of help from the Philadelphia Orchestra. Read more here.

The Columbus Symphony Orchestra is moving into the outdoors for free summer concerts taking place across Columbus' local parks. Click here for more.

San Diego gets its answer to the Hollywood Bowl, just in time. Read more here.

The Colorado Symphony announces a complete 2021-22 season. Read more here.

Carnegie Hall to reopen on October 6th with the Philadelphia Orchestra. Read more here.

Click here to read how the Houston Symphony played to more than a million people in the pandemic.

Important news for non-profit organizations! Those who already have received Shuttered Venue Operator Grant (SVOG) funding may qualify for an additional grant of up to 50% of the original grant amount. For FAQs, click here (scroll down to Q238). 

San Francisco Opera is set to inaugurate its 99th season, and first under the baton of Caroline H. Hume Music Director Eun Sun Kim, with Tosca. Read more here.

The US Small Business Administration (SBA) has awarded more than $7.5 billion in Shuttered Venue Operator Grants (SVOGs) to about 10,000 live entertainment venues, small businesses, and not-for-profits, including many ICSOM orchestras. Read more here.

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra is selling an NFT commemorating the historic performances of Mahler’s First Symphony by members of the DSO and Metropolitan Opera Orchestra last spring. Read more here.

Nashville Symphony Musicians have ratified a 3-year agreement and a return to full-time work. The musicians could not be more eager to return to the stage and begin making beautiful symphonic music once again for our beloved audiences. (Melinda Whitley, Committee Chair) Read more here.

Jacksonville City Council voted unanimously to pass legislation reallocating $1 million in federal CARES Act funding to the Jacksonville Symphony. Read more here.

North Carolina Symphony announces its upcoming season. Read more here.

The fate of the MET Opera’s fall season lies in its orchestra pit. Read more here.

The Cleveland Orchestra will receive a $6 million grant for venues shuttered in part or completely due to the pandemic. Read more here.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra announces its full fall and holiday 2021 programming at Symphony Center. Read more here.

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra holds first indoor concert since 2020. Read more here.

San Francisco Symphony begins a summer of outdoor concerts. Read more here.

The Boston Symphony returned to its summer home for its first in-person performances since March 2020. Read more here.

Utah Symphony and Opera go full steam ahead. Read more here.

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra celebrates its first full concerts in more than a year. Read more here.

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra announces outdoor parks concerts. Read more here.

This summer the Utah Symphony performs 25 live concerts in 12 cities throughout their state. Read more here.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra opens its Tanglewood season on July 10th. Read more here.

I invite you to join us in Jacoby Hall as we celebrate the joy of life through symphonic music. When shall we live if not now? Steven Libman, Jacksonville Symphony President. Read more here.

San Francisco Symphony returns with an expansive 2021–22 season. Read more here.

Grand Rapids Symphony announces summer concert schedule. Read more here.

Beginning with this weeks' opening night concerts, the Grant Park Music Festival returns to full-capacity audiences for its 2021 season. Read more here.

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra announces its 2021–22 season. Read more here.

A return to live music! Click here for the 2021 calendar for The Cleveland Orchestra’s Blossom Music Festival.

The L.A. Phil lays out its 2021-22 lineup for a Disney Hall homecoming. Read more here.

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra announces its 2021-22 season, a return to Heinz Hall in September. Read more here.

Jacksonville Symphony will open to full capacity for 2021-22 season. Read more here.

The Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center to merge. Read more here.

Boston Symphony Orchestra announced plans to reopen Symphony Hall and resume in-person performances for a complete season starting in September. Read more here.

The city of Jacksonville could send $1 million in pandemic relief to the Jacksonville Symphony. Read more here.

Colorado Symphony Orchestra will return with a live, indoor, in-person season. Read more here.

Click here for details about the 2021-22 St. Paul Chamber Orchestra season.

Columbus Symphony announces summer concert series for 2021. Read more here.

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra announces new season, return to full capacity. Read more here.

Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra welcomes live audiences back to Kleinhans Music Hall this week. Read more here.

Grand Rapids Symphony found new ways to perform during COVID-19 and is pivoting back for a new season. Read more here.

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra announces summer 2021 programming. Read more here.

MET Orchestra Spotlight Series finale announced. Read more here.

After 14 months, Osmo Vänska and the Minnesota Orchestra prep for a live audience. Read more here.

Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra announces summer 2021 concert series. Read more here.

North Carolina Symphony returns with live outdoor Summerfest concerts. Read more here.

National Symphony Orchestra announces 2021-22 season. Read more here.

The Cleveland Orchestra trumpets fully open 2021-22 Severance Hall season. Read more here.

The Philadelphia Orchestra announces 2021 summer digital stage performances. Read more here.

The Florida Orchestra sets a normal concert season to start in September. Read more here.

Charlotte Symphony and subscribers back together at last for gala event. Read more here.

The Lyric Opera of Chicago has announced its 2021-22 season. Read more here.

St. Paul Chamber Orchestra heads outdoors for its first in-person concerts. Read more here.

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra presents in-person outdoor chamber music series. Read more here.

Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra returns to stage for first time in a year. Read more here.

Los Angeles Philharmonic unveils concert schedule for Hollywood Bowl reopening. Read more here.

Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra is bringing back its popular Symphony on the Prairie performances. Read more here.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s free park concerts return for summer 2021. Read more here.

Minnesota Orchestra to return for in-person performances. Read more here.

Columbus Symphony announces a full slate of concerts for their 2021-22 season. Read more here.

Louisville Orchestra's next season will be indoors and with live audiences. Read more here.

Audiences to return to Symphony Hall for Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s 77th season. Read more here.

The Philadelphia Orchestra to welcome audiences back to the Kimmel next season. Read more here.

2021 Grant Park Music Festival welcomes audiences back to the Pritzker Pavilion this summer. Read more here.

Oregon Symphony spins up digital content on Studio125. Read more here.

San Francisco Symphony to increase capacity for upcoming concert programs. Read more here.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra plans to resume in-person concerts May 27 at Symphony Center. Read more here.

Indianapolis Symphony returns to in-person performances at Hilbert Circle Theatre. Read more here.

San Francisco Symphony to resume live concerts in Davies Symphony Hall. Read more here.

St. Paul Chamber Orchestra has free online concert booked and a library of free concerts to stream. Read more here.

Kansas City Symphony resumes in-person attendance in Helzberg Hall. Read more here.

Alabama Symphony Orchestra Musicians have performed over 100 private virtual concerts for COVID-19 patients through their Music Meets Medicine project. Read more here.

MET Orchestra Musicians to honor departed colleagues with Songs without Words concert. Read more here.

Columbus Symphony's virtual benefit to support music education called a soaring success. Read more here.

Click here to read how the San Francisco Opera created its live, drive-in The Barber of Seville.

The Philadelphia Orchestra will perform a free concert in May for frontline pandemic workers. Read more here.

The Colorado Symphony to perform at Red Rocks in May. Read more here.

New California guidelines hold promise for arts fundraising galas in San Francisco. Read more here.

New York Philharmonic gives first concert with an audience in 13 months. Read more here.

The MET Opera Orchestra musicians have been invited to join the Dallas Symphony for two benefit concerts in April. Read more here.

The Cleveland Orchestra returns to Blossom Music Center this summer. Read more here.

Los Angeles Philharmonic announces the return of live concerts to outdoor venues. Read more here.

Boston Symphony Orchestra announces its 2021 Tanglewood season. Read more here.

San Francisco Opera prepares live production of The Barber of Seville for April. Read more here.

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra announces its 2021-22 season. Read more here.

The Kennedy Center is reopening this fall for its 50th anniversary season. Read more here.

Dallas Symphony announces a full-orchestra 2021-22 season. Read more here.

Click here to read the 10 Reasons to Support the Arts in 2021 from Americans for the Arts.

Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center plans to reopen this fall with major arts groups back on stage. Read more here.

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra plays on. Read more here.

The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra is back together on stage after a whole year apart. Read more here.

New York Philharmonic to return to indoor performances for audiences in April. Read more here.

This week the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra will have their first live concert at Powell Hall since November. Read more here.

Utah Symphony announces 2021-22 season, begins in September. Read more here.

MET Music Director Yannick Nezet-Seguin: Protecting the long-term future of the Met is inextricably linked with retaining these musicians .. this must be a priority for the leadership of this institution. Read more here.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra announces return of in-person audiences at Tanglewood Music Festival. Read more here.

Utah Opera announces 2021-22 season; will feature productions canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more here.

Minnesota Orchestra to welcome back audiences in June. Read more here.

Ravinia to reopen this summer with Chicago Symphony Orchestra back in place. Read more here.

Boston Symphony Orchestra is optimistic that in-person performances will return to Tanglewood this summer. Read more here.

The Met Opera Orchestra’s musicians, unpaid since April 2020, are struggling. Read more here.

St. Paul Chamber Orchestra agrees on a 2-year contract extension. Read more here.

San Francisco Opera develops new COVID-19 singing mask for rehearsals. Read more here.

Oregon Symphony announces in person 125th anniversary season. Read more here.

Lyric Opera of Chicago has announced additional programs to its 2020-21 season. Read more here.

St Louis Symphony welcomes audiences back to Powell Hall. Read more here.

The American Rescue Plan has passed the Senate and now returns to the House for approval. Please call 202-224-3121 to obtain the number for your representatives in Congress and tell them to support and pass this bill!

Click here to learn about the LA Philharmonic’s socially distanced virtual concert series.

Symphoria returns this month! Read more here.

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra to hold auditions for six vacant positions. Read more here.

Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra extends virtual concert series to June. Read more here.

St. Paul Chamber Orchestra to resume live concerts, but no audience. Read more here.

The world is watching. The Vienna Philharmonic releases a statement regarding the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Read more here.

Charlotte Symphony announces their spring season. Read more here.

Utah Symphony & Utah Opera to resume live performances. Read more here.

For the first time in nearly a year, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra will perform live concerts. Read more here.

Columbus Symphony announces remaining concerts for their 2020-21 Masterworks season. Read more here.

Grand Rapids Symphony hosts live-streamed, virtual concerts for their 2021 season. Read more here.

Dallas Symphony Music Director Fabio Luisi talks about how the orchestra is navigating the pandemic. Read more here.

On Sunday FEB 21st at 3pm Eastern be sure to join the MET Orchestra Musicians for their next MET Orchestra Spotlight Series concert! Click here to learn about tickets and supporting the MET Orchestra Musicians in need.

San Francisco Opera announces plans for a return to live performances. Read more here.

The Nashville Symphony looks to safely return to live performances. Read more here.

Houston Symphony announces March concerts. Read more here.

Grand Rapids Symphony continues Pathwaves series for spring. Read more here.

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra to begin hosting digital concerts. Read more here.

Detroit Symphony announces 2021-22 season, plans for return of live audiences in the fall. Read more here.

Musicians get spotlight as the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra gives its first performance in their new concert hall. Read more here.

Its musicians are out of work, but the Met is streaming. Read more here.

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra moves the season online with free Front Row concert series. Read more here.

Minnesota Orchestra President/CEO says that while the $11.7 million deficit is serious, the orchestra has been able to cover the shortfall using available funds. Read more here.

Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra announces new dynamic 2021-2022 season. Read more here.

San Antonio Symphony returns to the Tobin Center this weekend. Read more here.

The Florida Orchestra announces third phase concerts in reimagined season. Read more here.

The Cleveland Orchestra postpones live audience at Severance Hall, reveals vision for spring and summer. Read more here.

$2 million gift to the Colorado Symphony will cover salaries and healthcare benefits for musicians and staff through June. Read more here.

Click here to read Creativity Drove the Inauguration—It Should Drive the Recovery, Too from Americans for the Arts.

Oregon Symphony Musicians reached an agreement with management and face a 70% cut for this season. To donate to their Emergency Relief Fund, contact AFM Local 99 in Portland: (503) 235-8791 or secretary@afm99.org

America The Beautiful: Nashville stars release song to aid the Nashville Symphony Musicians. Read more here.

Strong financial position keeps Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra operating. Read more here.

Music Director of the MET Opera and Philadelphia Orchestra, Yannick Nézet-Séguin's powerful open letter to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris urges immediate action on the arts. Read more here.

Esa-Pekka Salonen and San Francisco Symphony to debut a streaming service meant to go on beyond pandemic. Read more here.

Maryland Governor Hogan announces $30 million COVID relief to entertainment and music venues; the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra received funding at the highest level. Read more here.

San Diego Symphony CEO talks about making it through the era of COVID. Read more here.

Charlotte Symphony revises concert schedule due to COVID-19 directive. Read more here.

Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra reimagines 2021 season. Read more here.

Click here to read ICSOM's full statement of support for the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra musicians.

In honor of MLK Day, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra will stream their annual celebration. Read more here.

Hawaii Symphony Orchestra is keeping the music alive with its Sounds of Resilience live streaming program. Read more here.

San Diego Symphony launches special 2021 digital season. Read more here.

Kansas City Symphony delays in-person attendance for January performances. Read more here.

ICSOM’s Governing Board issues statement regarding the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Read more here.

Click here to read the statement by Riccardo Muti regarding the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra launches digital concert series with new performances amid COVID-19 pandemic. Read more here.

Dr Fauci suggests theaters could reopen some time in the fall. Read more here.

St Louis Symphony Orchestra musicians agree to temporary pay cuts. Read more here.

Click here to read Kevin Case’s Immunizing our Orchestras: Vaccine Mandates and the Law.

Grand Rapids Symphony announces socially distanced Pathwaves concerts. Read more here.

The Cleveland Orchestra unveils complete picture of virtual MLK Day festivities. Read more here.

The Columbus Symphony to present the 2021 Russian Winter Festival. Read more here.

The Houston Symphony announces February concerts. Click here to read more.

Musicians of the Phoenix Symphony are asking for help after the 2020-21 season was canceled. Read more here.

MET Orchestra musicians fire back at the Metropolitan Opera's decision to hire non-MET musicians for virtual gala. Read more here.

Audiences will return to Cincinnati’s Music Hall in January. Read more here.

New York City Opera has announced a special year-end social media fundraiser. Read more here.

Click here to view musicians from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performing festive music for the holidays.

San Diego Symphony cancels in-person concerts and shifts to virtual programming through May 2021. Click here for more.

The Minnesota Orchestra will be streaming a New Year's celebration on December 31st. Read more here.

San Francisco Ballet to launch 2021 season with virtual benefit gala. Read more here.

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra taps into 800 musicians for virtual performance. Read more here.

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra brings holiday performances to music lovers at home during pandemic. Read more here.

Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra extends virtual programming this winter season. Read more here.

Portland philanthropist gives holiday gift to Oregon Symphony musicians put out of work by the pandemic. Read more here.

The Florida Orchestra announces January concerts in reimagined season. Read more here.

Kansas City Symphony plans to return to Helzberg Hall in 2021. Read more here.

St Paul Chamber Orchestra reports balanced budget. Read more here.

Pittsburgh Symphony hosts annual sensory-friendly holiday concert online. Read more here.

Click here to read how the Dallas Symphony Orchestra has managed in-person concerts.

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra bringing back in-person performances. Read more here.

San Francisco Opera to reimagine spring season. Read more here.

San Diego Symphony presents two free performances for holiday streaming. Read more here.

Minnesota Orchestra to continue live streaming concerts through March. Read more here.

Holiday Spectacular brings the Columbus Symphony to the community. Read more here.

The Cleveland Orchestra plans online MLK Concert broadcast, reschedules January In Focus program. Read more here.

Houston Symphony announces January programming. Read more here.

The Philadelphia Orchestra to continue with all-virtual performances through June. Read more here.

Click here to read ICSOM Governing Board member Keith Carrick’s article No economic recovery without an arts recovery from The Salt Lake Tribune.

Anticipating a long road to financial recovery, the New York Philharmonic has decided on cuts that will gradually lessen. Read more here.

The Nashville Symphony and its Musicians have reached an agreement that will provide an interim stipend beginning January 3rd. Read more here.

Last summer’s LA Philharmonic Hollywood Bowl concert series will air weekly on PBS. Read more here.

San Francisco Symphony uses RingCentral video to spread virtual holiday cheer. Read more here.

The Cleveland Orchestra sees reasons for hope in positive 2020 annual report. Read more here.

Musicians of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra launch the next in their series of Music in a Time of Distance. Click here to check out the Advent Calendar at their YouTube channel.

The Phoenix Symphony notes I Love You Arizona in virtual show. Read more here.

Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra preparing virtual holiday concerts. Read more here.

The Columbus Symphony survives and thrives in an uncertain arts landscape. Read more here.

San Francisco Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker goes digital. Read more here.

San Antonio Symphony to resume performance schedule in 2021, introduce streaming options. Read more here.

The Cleveland Orchestra plays on despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more here.

St Paul Chamber Orchestra suspends livestream concerts due to COVID. Read more here.

The musicians of the MET Orchestra receive a generous donation to support its members. Read more here.

Charlotte Symphony brings holiday concerts home with live-streaming amid COVID-19. Read more here.

Milwaukee Symphony reconfigures its 2021 season with small ensembles & diverse composers. Read more here.

Click here to see how the Houston Symphony & Rice University teamed up to study safe social distancing for musicians.

The San Antonio Symphony announces their classical lineup and safety measures for a shortened 2020-21 season. Read more here.

Click here to see how the Utah Symphony safely returned to the stage.

This week the Boston Symphony Orchestra launches their new BSO NOW video series. Read more here.

The New York Philharmonic will present its first-ever virtual gala. Read more here.

Premiering November 22, the MET Orchestra Musicians launch their Spotlight Series, performed live from The High Line in New York City. Read more here.

Lyric Opera of Chicago and its musicians have reached a modified labor agreement. Read more here.

Colorado Symphony cancels in-person concerts through May 2021. Read more here.

Oregon Symphony has canceled all of its in-person concerts through next summer. Read more here.

MET Orchestra Musicians met with financial hardship. Read more here.

Click here to read how the Columbus Symphony Orchestra avoided laying off musicians.

San Francisco Symphony calls off all remaining live performances for 2020-21 season. Read more here.

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is back, performing innovative repertoire focused upon diversity and inclusion. Read more here.

New York Philharmonic continues PROJECT 19. Read more here.

San Francisco Symphony musicians agree to a 30% pay cut. Read more here.

Alabama Symphony Orchestra Musicians perform virtual concerts for COVID-19 patients. Read more here.

Music Director Rafael Payare and the San Diego Symphony build foundation for a strong future. Read more here.

Grand new spaces for Grand Rapids Symphony livestream. Read more here.

Boston Symphony introduces BSO NOW, the online home for new BSO and Boston Pops performances. Read more here.

Virtual gala Sounds of Celebration raises $910,000 for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Read more here.

Musicians of the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra take to the streets instead of the opera house. Read more here.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic is quiet no more. Read more here.

Houston Symphony uses pandemic to feature underrepresented groups. Read more here.

New York City Ballet won’t return to the stage until September 2021. Read more here.

Utah Symphony/Utah Opera announces fall 2020 digital streaming schedule. Read more here.

We remain committed to finding a resolution that will help both Lyric and the musicians navigate these difficult times, yet preserve Lyric as Chicago’s premier cultural institution for future generations. Musicians of the Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra. Read more here.

LA Philharmonic cancels Walt Disney Concert Hall events through June 2021. Read more here.

Minnesota Orchestra & the University of Minnesota study aerosols from instruments. Read more here.

Commissioned world premiere will mark the San Francisco Symphony’s first performance with Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen. Read more here.

Met Opera Orchestra musicians haven’t been paid since April. Now, a third have left New York City. Read more here.

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra presents a virtual 2020-21 season. Read more here.

The San Diego Symphony will present its first orchestral performance in nearly 7 months with a free, live-streamed concert. Read more here.

Boston Symphony Orchestra cancels live performances, pivots to online offerings as classical music’s popularity soars. Read more here.

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Comcast play sweet music together. Read more here.

St Louis Symphony Orchestra finished its 2019-20 fiscal year with a balanced budget. Read more here.

The MET Orchestra Musicians have conducted an aerosol study with Princeton University & University of Montpellier, sponsored by IBM. Read more here.

Philadelphia Orchestra members approve new, deeper pay cuts. Read more here.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra cancels more live concerts and starts CSO Sessions, online programs featuring new performances by CSO musicians. Read more here.

New York Philharmonic cancels the rest of its season. Read more here.

Seven months ago the MET Opera went dark due to the global pandemic. Last month the musicians learned that the MET cancelled the entire 2020-21 season. They have established the MET Orchestra Musicians Fund. Click here to learn more about supporting the MET Orchestra musicians.

The National Symphony Orchestra is giving back with NSO In Your Neighborhood, performing private concerts at hospitals to lift the spirits of brave health professionals. Read more here.

The Cleveland Orchestra launches new app, Adella, for fall series of streamed concerts. Read more here.

Philadelphia Orchestra returns with online performances. Read more here.

The Dallas Symphony soldiers on with restricted audiences. Read more here.

Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra comes back together for live streaming concerts. Read more here.

While Musicians of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra had a return of their canceled health insurance and soon will receive a modest stipend, they established a fund due to months of lost wages and medical bills. Click here to donate.

Why are the great opera companies silent? by Patti Niemi, San Francisco Opera Orchestra percussionist and author of Sticking It Out—From Juilliard to the Orchestra Pit. Read more here.

How scientific study helped Utah Symphony open its season. Read more here.

Columbus Symphony offers in-person and virtual options for fall 2020. Read more here.

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra announces new digital concert series BSO Sessions. Read more here.

Atlanta Symphony announces Live From The Drive-In series. Read more here.

The Musicians of the Nashville Symphony, furloughed on July 1st for up to 13 months, have launched a Financial Aid Fund. Donations will go directly to the NSO Musicians to assist with the challenges of living without a paycheck. Read more here.

Collective bargaining agreement that runs through August 2022 settled for the Minnesota Orchestra. Read more here.

We had all these big plans, but right now it’s just a question of keeping our heads above water. Everything we’re doing, from morning until night, is just about figuring out a plan on the financial front—above all, a plan for our musicians. LA Philharmonic CEO Chad Smith. Read more here.
 

Metropolitan Opera Orchestra musicians speak out on the MET’s 2020-21 season cancellation. Read more here.

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra enters a new era. Read more here.

Charlotte Symphony announces fall series with streaming, in-person concerts. Read more here.

San Francisco Opera faces COVID-19 with controversial orchestra contract revision. Read more here.

St Louis Symphony Orchestra hosts surprise pop-up concerts. Read more here.

North Carolina Symphony reimagines season and expands virtual music education offerings. Read more here.

Musicians of the Virginia Symphony, furloughed and without pay, have launched a GoFundMe campaign to support their musicians who are struggling to pay medical costs and facing dire emergencies. Read more here.

San Francisco Symphony & San Francisco Opera Orchestra musicians settle contracts. Read more here.

Classical music continues in Nashville, thanks to the NSO Musicians. Read more here.

Louisville Orchestra announces LOVE (Louisville Orchestra Virtual Edition) with 4 online concerts. Read more here.

Houston Symphony to perform at Jones Hall with new safety measures and programming. Read more here.

National Symphony Orchestra quartet performs for healthcare workers. Read more here.

Jacksonville Symphony bringing live music back to River City starting this week. Read more here.

Utah Symphony begins a new season with a new CEO and new challenges from COVID-19. Read more here.

Virginia Symphony Orchestra retools its 100th season, furloughs musicians due to pandemic. Read more here.

Nashville Symphony musicians announce their own chamber music series Play On at St George's. Read more here.

Newly-ratified labor agreement for the Boston Symphony includes salary cuts to the musicians and the launch of a BSO Resident Fellowship Program. Read more here.

Columbus Symphony launches new interactive websites for music education. Read more here.

The Florida Orchestra changes fall season for safety. Read more here.

Indianapolis Symphony musicians and management reach an agreement on health insurance and stipends. Read more here.

Jacksonville Symphony giving free open house performances next week. Read more here.

Minnesota Orchestra mounts fall season without live audiences. Read more here.

New location for Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra's fall concerts. Read more here.

Click here to read how the symphony prepares to reopen in Charlotte.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra launches CSOtv, a new digital performance series, for its 130th season. Read more here.

The Cleveland Orchestra announces their digital concert series to be performed at Severance Hall. Read more here.

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra announces additional salary cuts. Read more here.

The Detroit Symphony Orchestra announces their virtual fall 2020 season. Read more here.

Utah Symphony and Utah Opera will start the fall with shorter programs and smaller audiences. Read more here.

San Francisco Symphony takes a multicultural turn with new virtual programming series. Read more here.

Houston Symphony lifts the curtain on a very different season. Read more here.

San Diego Symphony cancels rest of 2020 schedule and looks to 2021. Read more here.

Rochester Philharmonic President Curt Long tells how the pandemic has changed the RPO’s operations and how their community can help. Read more here.

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and its musicians reach a new 5-year contract. Read more here.

The Detroit Symphony Orchestra plans return to Orchestra Hall with new music director set to make debut. Read more here.

St Paul Chamber Orchestra adds six fall concerts that will be streamed live for free. Read more here.

New York Philharmonic restarts the music with a pickup truck. Read more here.

Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra switches to an all-online 2020-2021 season for subscribers. Read more here.

Columbus Symphony to bring live music to its neighborhoods. Read more here.

Atlanta Symphony plans live concerts for fall with audience watching from home. Read more here.

Jacksonville Symphony going ahead with 2020-21 season. Read more here.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra welcomes live audiences for fall concerts. Read more here.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic announces media project SOUND/STAGE. Read more here.

Philadelphia Orchestra plans for a pandemic season. Read more here.

Grand Rapids Symphony announces reimagined 2020-2021 PATHWAVES season. Read more here.

Musicians of the Utah Symphony are holding their first live concert since March. Read more here.

Phoenix Symphony explores alternatives to live concerts for the 2020-21 season. Read more here.

The Florida Orchestra announces changes to their fall season. Read more here.

New York City Opera announces plans for next spring. Read more here.

Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra shifts to virtual events with BPOnDemand. Read more here.

St Louis Symphony Orchestra announces plans for fall. Read more here.

The Cleveland Orchestra offers revised vision for 2020-21 Severance Hall season, with live concerts resuming in October. Read more here.

Pittsburgh Symphony looks to January return to Heinz Hall. Read more here.

The Philadelphia Orchestra rehearses in person for the first time since the pandemic. Read more here.

Colorado Symphony announces ten more summer Red Rocks concerts. Read more here.

St Paul Chamber Orchestra cancels all concerts through December. Read more here.

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra announces additional composers for The Fanfare Project. Read more here.

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and arts partners collaborate on a #MaskUp video. Read more here.

Detroit Symphony Orchestra kicks off free, socially distant summer concert series. Read more here.

The Fort Worth and Dallas Symphony Orchestras welcome back guests for socially distanced concerts in September. Read more here.

Houston Symphony strings together new virtual concerts series. Read more here.

San Francisco Opera's interactive lecture series features social themes in opera during August. Read more here.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra announces Next Stage concert programs for fall 2020. Read more here.

Kansas City Symphony management and musicians have agreed to new contract terms for the 2020-21 season. Read more here.

Boston Symphony Orchestra cancels fall performances over coronavirus pandemic. Read more here.

Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra suspends 2020-21 indoor concert season. Read more here.

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra cancels performances for rest of the year; introduces free digital series Live From Music Hall. Read more here.

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra announces concert plans for fall 2020. Read more here.

Detroit Symphony Orchestra announces return with August outdoor concerts. Read more here.

St Louis Symphony cancels planned August return, citing rising coronavirus cases. Read more here.

San Francisco Symphony has launched SFS 1:1 Concerts, live performances of one musician playing for one audience member. Read more here.

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra cancels live performances through November, plans digital concert series. Read more here.

San Antonio Symphony cancels fall concerts because of coronavirus safety concerns. Read more here.

Nashville Symphony musicians face months of unknowns. Read more here.

Colorado Symphony announces Acoustic on the Rocks performances July 29-August 2 at Red Rocks. Read more here.

St Louis Symphony cancels planned August return, citing rising coronavirus cases. Read more here.

Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra musicians perform virtually for hospital patients in partnership with Sharing Notes. Read more here.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra cancels performances through late December. Read more here.

ICSOM has launched a Phone2Action campaign in support of the HEROES act which would provide direct support to our orchestras. Click here for the link to contact your US senators.

Houston Symphony returned to the stage July 11th with Live From Jones Hall, a series of socially-distanced streamed concerts scheduled weekly through August 1st. Read more here.

Jacksonville Symphony continues streaming concerts in July. Read more here.

Colorado Symphony cancels performances through November. Read more here.

Oregon Symphony announced that it will cancel all remaining performances for 2020, with a tentative plan to resume in January. Read more here.

The Florida Orchestra posts 100 videos from home. Read more here.

Minnesota Orchestra cancels 16 full-orchestra concerts, will start phased reopening with smaller concerts outdoors. Read more here.

Pittsburgh Symphony plans more online summer programming. Read more here.

Kansas City Symphony won't perform at Kauffman Center for rest of year. Read more here.

Government arts boost does not come close to meeting the demand, says NEA Chair Mary Anne Carter. Read more here.

The United Kingdom’s government has pledged close to $2 billion to support arts and cultural organizations. Read more here.

Salute to healthcare heroes: musicians of The Cleveland Orchestra perform free concerts for hospital workers. Read more here.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra announces concert plans for fall. Read more here.

Without music festivals this summer, Boston Symphony Orchestra dives into its archives. Read more here.

Pittsburgh's summer classical music lineup is all virtual. Read more here.

Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra musicians to enter into talks with management on pay, healthcare and plans for the fall. Read more here.

Click here for the interview with the chair of the MET Orchestra musicians’ committee on their new fundraising campaign.

We will bring you music any way we can. The Florida Orchestra President & CEO Mark Cantrell. Read more here.

Click here for Orchestral Safety Plans: A First Look by ICSOM Counsel Kevin Case.

The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and other groups team up for a July 4th concert. Read more here.

The Houston Symphony returns to the stage with a new hour-long livestream series. Read more here.

The Utah Symphony presents two world premieres performed from home. Read more here.

Musicians of the MET Orchestra launch a fundraising campaign #WeWillMetAgain Read more here.

Musicians of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra have been furloughed and their employer-provided health insurance has been terminated. The ISO is the only ICSOM orchestra to terminate health insurance while furloughing its musicians. Read more here.

Detroit Symphony Orchestra plots a path forward for live concerts. Read more here.

The MET orchestra offered prestige and job security to its musicians. But the pandemic has upended their lives. Read more here.

The Kennedy Center will not present any large-scale events, including National Symphony Orchestra and Washington National Opera performances, until next year. Read more here.

San Francisco Ballet announces details of 2021 season with hope and a bit of uncertainty. Read more here.

San Francisco Symphony cancels all remaining 2020 performances over ongoing coronavirus concerns. Read more here.

No Nutcracker this year, New York City Ballet says. Read more here.

With normal concerts canceled, Dallas Symphony makes new audience connections. Read more here.

Minnesota Orchestra musicians agree to salary reductions to contain costs amid pandemic. Read more here.

Chicago Lyric Opera cancels remainder of 2020 season. Read more here.

Refund or donation: Which do most ticket holders to COVID-canceled events choose? Read more here.

Houston Symphony lays off 25% of staff as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more here.

From lawn to screen: Boston Symphony takes Tanglewood summer music festival online. Read more here.

San Francisco Opera cancels its fall season over pandemic concerns. Read more here.

Nashville Symphony takes hiatus through summer 2021. Read more here.

Mellon Foundation announces additional $200 million grant-making commitment to Arts and Humanities nonprofits devastated by the global pandemic. Read more here.

Oregon Symphony moves forward with Essential Sounds Series. Read more here.

San Antonio Symphony Music Director shares how orchestras can survive the coronavirus. Read more here.

Philadelphia Orchestra premieres new work written for the pandemic. Read more here.

The New York Philharmonic moves up Geffen Hall rebuild to take advantage of the orchestra's 2020 absence. Read more here.

Columbus Symphony cancels 2020 Picnic with the Pops. Read more here.

Click here to read Wind Musicians’ Risk Assessment in the Time of COVID-19 by Adam T Schwalje MD, DMA; and Henry T Hoffman MD (10 June 2020).

San Francisco Symphony celebrates MTT's momentous legacy the only way it can. Read more here.

The New York Philharmonic cancels its fall season. Read more here.

New York Philharmonic to perform in YouTube's Dear Class of 2020. Read more here.

Fundraiser was sweet music to the Jacksonville Symphony's budget. Read more here.

The sacrosanct endowment? Not anymore for some arts groups. Read more here.

The Virginia Symphony Orchestra creatively connects with its audience during COVID-19. Read more here.

The Metropolitan Opera cancels all fall performances. Read more here.

Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra discussing a nuanced return to public events with safety first. Read more here.

Nashville Symphony Orchestra musicians piece together a performance. Read more here.

The Philadelphia Orchestra plans online gala, including a newly-commissioned piece to honor frontline workers. Read more here.

Art of the New Deal: How artists helped redefine America during the Great Depression. Read more here.

For the Jacksonville Symphony, the show must go on(line). Read more here.

Philadelphia Orchestra channel gives Penn hospitals a new soundtrack. Read more here.

We all lose a lot when an orchestra falls silent. Read more here.

Pandemic uproots Philadelphia Orchestra summer travel plans. Read more here.

Grand Rapids Symphony cancels July concerts due to coronavirus pandemic, plans for August. Read more here.

Safety in an Era of Uncertainty by ICSOM counsel Kevin Case addresses a single, burning question: When and how can we come back to work? Read more here.

Tanglewood, summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, has canceled its 2020 live performance season due to the coronavirus. Read more here.

San Diego Symphony cancels summer season due to COVID-19 concerns, pushes opening of The Shell to 2021. Read more here.

Click here to view a list of resources for ICSOM musicians during the COVID-19 crisis.