Letter from the Board President

Dear friends of the RSO,

It was so difficult to see the end of our season come to such an immediate halt, but your generosity assisted us in compensating the RSO musicians for the March concert despite its cancellation. That’s something we are very proud of and were only able to do with the support of our donors and sponsors. Many orchestras did not choose to or were unable to pay musicians for cancelled programming. Conductor Bordo was also able to check in on our contracted players and ensure they are all in a safe and healthy place.

As we look to the fall and our return to Civic Hall stage, we are waiting patiently and planning meticulously for a safe return. Many factors are keeping us from planning with confidence, as I am sure you are aware. Most of the things we need to plan for are the same as any other venue, such as enhanced cleaning, ensuring distancing, and reconsidering capacities and start times. However, because of the nature of our medium, we have other considerations as well, such as:

• Being housed at Richmond High School, we are awaiting guidelines on the return to our office and use of the hall. We will need to be flexible because of the fluid situation as it relates to the schools.

• Once we are able to return to the hall for performances, we’re unsure of the precautions that will be mandated by the schools and additional ones the RSO may take to ensure our musicians and patrons feel comfortable.

• Since we draw so many of our players from IU Bloomington Jacobs School of Music and Cincinnati Conservatory, we are unsure of the students’ return to school and whether travel restrictions off campus will be passed down from colleges. We’re also unsure whether musicians will feel safe traveling to Richmond. We may also need to change our typical schedule, moving December and February concerts to coincide with intended college schedules.

We fully intend to have a season, but we are planning to start the season late, perhaps in October. Other considerations include programming for smaller orchestras, shorter concerts and possibly holding the same concert twice to ensure appropriate distancing of the audience.  Thank you to Conductor Bordo for his thoughtful work on different potential options.  We are also in discussions about the possibility of forgoing season tickets and only selling single ones for each performance to manage the number in attendance and ensure proper spacing. But we fully intend to be on the stage and hope it’s sooner rather than later.

Currently, we are also looking at possible outdoor venues for community concerts later in the summer and into the fall to begin bringing people back into community where it is comfortable. We will certainly do our part to fulfill our mission and ensure the continuation of a vibrant arts scene in Wayne County. We are forever grateful for your support.

Thank you for your support and understanding.  Stay safe!

Kathy Girten, on behalf of the RSO board

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