WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (March 31, 2020) – The Winston-Salem Symphony is committed to the health and safety of everyone in our community and is continually monitoring the development of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and is following updates and recommendations from local, state, and national health officials, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In accordance with the latest recommendations 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, 2020.
“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 3:00 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 8:00 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 7:00 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 3:00 p.m., both of which will take place at R.J. Reynolds Auditorium. More information on this wonderful new series can be found atwssymphony.org.
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 6:00 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.
Ticketing Information
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, please email boxoffice@wssymphony.org or call (336) 464- 0145. For the quickest response, please email boxoffice@wssymphony.org. 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, please refer to the website at wssymphony.org/covid19/.
About the Winston-Salem Symphony
The Winston-Salem Symphony, one of the Southeast’s most highly regarded regional orchestras, began its 73rd season in October 2019. The 2019–20 season will be Timothy Redmond’s inaugural season as Music Director and will include Classics Series concerts featuring renowned guest artists such as Béla Fleck, Rachel Barton Pine, and more. In addition, the season will include a Pops series featuring the Indigo Girls on stage with the Symphony as well as the music of John Williams and a tribute to Tom Petty. The annual Concert for Community featuring Winston-Salem Symphony and Youth Symphony musicians returned on January 25. The Symphony also hosts four youth orchestra ensembles, and a multitude of educational and community engagement programs, including the P.L.A.Y. (Piedmont Learning Academy for Youth) Music program providing, primarily to under-served youth, instrumental music instruction and more. The Symphony is supported by Season Presenting Sponsors BB&T and Bell, Davis & Pitt, P.A.; Redmond’s Inaugural Season Sponsor Betty Myers Howell; Symphony Unbound Sponsors Chris and Mike Morykwas; as well as generous funding from the Arts Council of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County, the North Carolina Arts Council, and other dedicated sponsors. For more information, visit wssymphony.org.
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