The Cleveland Orchestra has cancelled all concerts this summer at Blossom Music Center (in photo) due to the pandemic.
“Cleveland Orchestra fans will have to wait several more months to hear their favorite group in action again,” writes Zachary Lewis in Friday’s (5/8) cleveland.com. “On Friday, citing ongoing risks associated with coronavirus, the orchestra announced the cancellation of all concerts this summer, including the 2020 Blossom Music Festival and the ‘Summers@Severance’ series…. President and chief executive André Gremillet said it remains unsafe for musicians to gather on stage and patrons to congregate at either Blossom Music Center or Severance Hall. ‘It’s a very painful decision,’ Gremillet said. ‘Everyone loves Blossom. But we could not really guarantee the safety of our people. [Blossom] is a very large space. There’s too much uncertainty about being able to play for people and control the environment.’ Most of the concerts this summer are canceled outright. Into that category fall most events at Blossom Music Center and the full ‘Summers @ Severance’ lineup…. Three events, however, have been postponed. Those three are the annual ‘Star-Spangled Spectacular’ concert downtown, which is slated for rescheduling, and the two Blossom film programs, ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,’ both of which have been pushed to 2021.”
