Richmond Philharmonic

A letter from our president Dave Davis

To our amazing patrons, audience members, supporters, and friends,

Wow, what a ride the last few weeks have been! We are so very grateful to all of the support we've received from you all in the past month. A lot of folks have had drastic changes to their daily lives but you still find time to support us on social media and tell your friends about the work we do - we are so grateful!

It is to our great sadness, however, to postpone the May 10, 2020 concert. There are many moving parts to consider in scheduling a concert, and there are many considerations in cancelling or postponing a concert. Our overarching concern is to do our part in reducing the spread of the virus, and to not unnecessarily increase possible exposure risks during our rehearsals. We know you might have a few questions, but let us try and answer what we can now:

Will the May 10th concert be cancelled or postponed? Right now, it is postponed. We are trying to reschedule this concert program to Fall 2020. There are a number of scheduling factors that must be considered, such as soloist availability, chorus availability, a suitable venue for a large production, etc. It may take a couple months to work through all of these details. It is our sincere hope that we can reschedule this concert next season.

Why are we postponing the May 10th concert now? While public health risks may have subsided by May 10th, both the orchestra and the chorus must begin rehearsals in the next few weeks to have ample preparation time. Having a large group of people gathered for rehearsal at this time may increase exposure risks.

Will the Summer Pops concerts be cancelled or postponed? Right now, we do not know. We hope the Summer Pops concerts can go forward as scheduled, but public health risks in Central Virginia are changing daily. It is possible that we will need to cancel these concerts as well. If that becomes a reality, we will communicate with you as soon as we can.

All of us here at the Richmond Philharmonic are as disappointed as you about cancelling or postponing two Masterworks concerts. However, we will make our best efforts to reschedule them. These are unusual times for all of us, and much of our community structures -- and nerves! -- are frayed. As a reminder to all, please wash your hands regularly, cover your coughs and sneezes, stay home if ill, and take care of yourselves and those around you.

Thank you so much, and we look forward to performing for you as of now in June at our annual Summer Pops series!

Thank you and be well,

Dave Davis, Jr.