“The San Antonio Symphony has scrapped the first half of its 2020-21 season, going dark until at least February because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” writes Deborah Martin in Tuesday’s (7/21) San Antonio Express-News (TX). “The symphony also has furloughed five staff people from its operations and artistic departments through Aug. 31, leaving a staff of eight. It is in negotiations with musicians regarding pay and safety issues for next season. The decision … was made because of the persistence of the spread of the novel coronavirus in the community. Other factors included safety guidelines … and a survey of patrons that included questions about how comfortable they would be returning to live performances this fall. Between 70 percent and 75 percent of the roughly 1,200 people who responded said they would not be comfortable doing that.… As COVID-19 cases spike in Texas and elsewhere, arts organizations across the country are doing the same. In San Antonio, the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, where the symphony is a resident company, is hoping to book chamber ensembles this fall…. ‘We think that being able to return in February seems to be the most plausible scenario as of right now,’ said symphony Executive Director Corey Cowart.”
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