The New York Philharmonic on Monday announced the cancellation of its 2020-21 season, a few weeks after the Metropolitan Opera, another sign that the pandemic is likely to completely slash the cultural season in the United States. After announcing, at the beginning of June, the cancellation of the autumn part of his calendar, until January 6, the “Phil” has this time given up the rest of the dates, until June 13.
This is the first time, in 178 years, that the New York classical orchestra has skipped a full season, a decision made “on the advice of health authorities“, According to a press release. This cancellation “is not only unprecedented, it is devastating, both for the morale of musicians and the public, but also for its profound economic consequencesCommented CEO Deborah Borda, quoted in the press release.
In order not to abandon its audience, the Philharmonic plans to broadcast, online, concerts pre-recorded by small groups made up of musicians from the orchestra. These concerts will be recorded in other halls than the usual one of the Philharmonic, the David Geffen Hall, which must be renovated.
Deborah Borda has indeed indicated that the organization plans to take advantage of these cancellations to launch the renovation project, long awaited and initially scheduled to begin in May 2022. This is the third wave of work in this inaugurated enclosure. in 1962, with a bill valued at $ 550 million.
While waiting for the 2021-22 season, the Philharmonic will also try to occupy a little musical space with the return of the “Bandwagon” project in the spring of 2021. These are small concerts in small groups and outdoors in the four corners of the city to meet New Yorkers. The first edition, this fall, was a great success, even if, pandemic obliges, the chosen places were not announced, to avoid too large crowds.
At the end of September, the Metropolitan Opera had already announced the cancellation of its 2020-21 season. On Friday, the Broadway League trade association postponed the reopening of Broadway theaters until early June, at a minimum.
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