Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center (Photo: Todd Rosenberg)
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has canceled the remainder of its 2019-20 season in an effort to further curb the spread of COVID-19, a release announced this afternoon. The announcement comes following the COVID-related cancellations of seasons by two other institutions of Chicago classical music — Ravinia Festival (which serves as the summer home for the CSO) and the Grant Park Music Festival.
The CSO’s season was set to continue through June 27 and include a two-week residency with music director Riccardo Muti, which would have featured performances of Beethoven’s Symphonies Nos. 6, 8, and 9. Per the statement, the CSO is working to reschedule canceled programs in future seasons.
With Symphony Center shuttered, the CSO has turned to other means to keep sharing music — its page “CSO From Home” hosts streamable videos, plus audio and written content featuring CSO performances and artists. The orchestra has also expanded its radio presence — in addition to the weekly Sunday broadcasts, the CSO and WFMT have partnered to produce a special, limited-run joint broadcast and streaming series called “From the CSO’s Archives: Maestro’s Choice,” which airs weekly on Tuesday evenings and is curated by Maestro Muti.
Ticketholders may visit cso.org/exchangetickets to return tickets, with the option to convert the ticket value to a donation or be credited that amount for future ticket purchases.
