CLEVELAND — Announced in a press release Friday, The Cleveland Orchestra had decided to cancel a number of scheduled performances this summer due to the COVID-19 crisis.
"The cancellations include the Orchestra's 2020 Blossom Music Festival at its summer home, Blossom Music Center, as well as the Summers@Severance series of concerts at Severance Hall," the release states. Additionally, the annual free "Star-Spangled Spectacular" performance in downtown Cleveland has been postponed to a future date to be determined.
President and CEO of The Cleveland Orchestra, André Gremillet, ensures the decision was not taken lightly.
"The decision to cancel our summer concerts was very painful to make, but it is being driven by an abundance of concern for the safety and health of our musicians, audiences, and staff," Gremillet said.
"In addition to the state and federal guidelines that must be respected, we believe that each institution must make the right decision for their constituents. In the case of The Cleveland Orchestra, we believe that our best hope is to be back on stage in the fall, and we are preparing ourselves accordingly," he continued.
Two performances from the 2020 Blossom Music Festival will be postponed to the summer of 2021, rather than cancelled. The Lord of the Rings: The Felllowship of the Ring (July 17-19, 2020) and the Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (August 29-30, 2020) concerts have been pushed to next summer, with tickets purchased for these presentations valid for the 2021 Blossom Music Festival dates.
The full list of programming and details for the 2021 festival will be released early next year. Lawn Ticket Books purchased for this summer's Blossom Music Festival will be valid for the 2021 festival next summer.
@Home with The Cleveland Orchestra offers new and expanded ways for people to connect with the Orchestra through a series of online offerings. Included are radio and online broadcasts of the Orchestra's concerts seven days a week, as well as performance and educational videos by the Orchestra's musicians from their homes.
Though the Severance Hall Ticket office is currently closed, ticket exchange, donation or refund information can be found by reaching out to a member of the ticket office staff via email at boxoffice@clevelandorchestra.com or call and leave a message on the ticket office voicemail at 216-231-1111.