“The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra is taking what it calls ‘an unprecedented step to protect its long-term viability,’ ” writes Tom Maccabe on Tuesday (4/7) at Indianapolis TV station RTV6. “With all performances canceled through May 27, the ISO is now putting its musicians and stagehands on unpaid furlough, while laying off nearly half of its administrative staff. ‘Given the far-reaching economic impact of COVID-19, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra is implementing measures to best protect its financial stability during this time,’ CEO James Johnson said. ‘These personnel actions are extraordinarily difficult, but necessary to manage the challenges faced by our organization.… I am grateful that our Board of Directors has pledged to fund health insurance for employees for the near future.’ The COVID-19 outbreak has left the ISO unable to plan for future concerts since it’s not clear when it will be safe to perform again…. ISO leadership has applied for financial relief through the Paycheck Protection Program…. The ISO has committed to providing healthcare coverage through May…. ‘It is the ISO’s intention to emerge from this challenging period better, stronger, and more clearly focused on delivering on our mission to serve the community,’ Johnson said.” The Paycheck Protection Program is administered by the Small Business Administration.
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