As the safety of the Boston Symphony Orchestra's audience, musicians, visiting guest artists, staff, volunteers, and board leadership-as well as its relationships with all outside vendors and performing arts organizations-is the orchestra's top priority, the Boston Symphony Orchestra is canceling all performances at Symphony Hall in Boston and at the Linde Center at Tanglewood from Friday, March 13 through Saturday, March 28 due to concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
During this period of closure, the BSO will be in regular communication with updates about Symphony Hall's performance and event schedule, as it is unclear at the present time when the Hall will reopen and return to its normal operations.
The BSO's decision to cancel performances has been influenced by recommendations in general from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), City of Boston, or the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, ongoing official news reports, and an abundance of concern for what the organization can do to best ensure the well-being of everyone in the BSO community.
The BSO is exploring the possibility of periodically sharing performance video-including archival video releases-with all its patrons during this period of time when Symphony Hall will be closed.
"The Boston Symphony Orchestra's decision to cancel all Symphony Hall and Linde Center performances over the next two weeks had to be made out of our utmost concern for the safety and well-being of the BSO community at large," said Mark Volpe, BSO President and CEO.
"We encourage everyone in our music community and beyond to follow all health recommendations of the CDC, WHO, the City of Boston, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts concerning COVID-19, and to take great care of themselves to stay healthy and avoid contact with the virus.
"This is no doubt a difficult time for the citizens of Boston, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the country, and the world at large. We all look forward to the not-so-distant future when we return to concertgoing as one of the many things we so cherish about our lives beyond this health challenge."
The BSO's internal constituencies, including staff and musicians, have been made aware of the important facts about COVID-19 and have been asked to abide by the latest public health guidance and hygienic recommendations, outlined at
www.cdc.gov, including avoiding close contact with people who are sick and avoiding touching their eyes, nose, and mouth; staying home when they are sick and always covering their cough or sneeze to prevent the spread of germs; and washing their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Per the CDC's guidelines for employers, the BSO has ordered additional hand sanitizers for its offices and workspaces. The BSO's Human Resources Department is working closely with the BSO staff and musicians to address the wide variety of challenges that might arise around the spread of the virus.
Due to the financial impact of concert cancellations on the Boston Symphony Orchestra, we ask patrons, whenever possible, to consider ticket exchanges (by way of gift certificates or future performances) or a donation in the amount of the ticket purchased (and receive a tax deduction for the total ticket value). Otherwise, the BSO will provide a refund for the value of the ticket purchased. For further information about ticket accommodations or to request further information about the concert cancellations, patrons can contact the BSO's Customer Service Department at customerservice@bso.org or call 617-266-1200. The Symphony Hall and Tanglewood box offices, as well as Symphony Charge (617-266-1200), will remain open during this period of concert cancellations.
Beyond the BSO's activities at Symphony Hall, all March public events, including those of the Celebrity Series of Boston and Boston Speaker Series, are canceled. Patrons of the Celebrity Series of Boston should email
boxoffice@celebrityseries.org. Patrons of the Boston Speaker Series are asked to hold on to their tickets for the March 16 and 18 lectures, which will be honored at a future rescheduled date.
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