Carmel Symphony Orchestra has announced several changes to its season schedule because of the recent surge of COVID-19 omicron variant cases.
The orchestra, a resident company of the Palladium at The Center for the Performing Arts, is in the middle of its 2021-22 season. Five upcoming concerts are being postponed: Family Fun Concert, Jan. 23; Masterworks 3 with the Harlem String Quartet, Feb. 12; Beethoven Lives Upstairs: A Classical Kids Live! Event, Feb. 19; Pops Concert: Serpentine Fire — the Music of Earth, Wind & Fire, Feb. 26; and Side-by-Side Concert with Fishers High School featuring CSO Young Artist Competition winner Abigail Ko, March 6.
“Three of the affected concerts are our family concerts,” stated Robert Schlegel III, chairman of the CSO board of directors. “Normally, at Family Fun and Side-by-Side, young people are actually on the stage with our musicians, literally side-by-side with them. With the current COVID surge, and with so few among the younger age groups vaccinated, or even able to be vaccinated, our board determined that this probably isn’t the best thing to be doing at this time.
“Hopefully, the peak of this particular surge will be reached over the next month or so, and by the time we resume our concerts, we’ll be on the downside of omicron.”
Masterworks 4 set for March 12, and Masterworks 5 with guest artist Edgar Meyer scheduled for April 23, will be CSO’s next concerts, both at the Palladium. The Family Fun concert has been rescheduled for May 14. The other concerts affected by the temporary pause, including Serpentine Fire: the Music of Earth, Wind and Fire, will be booked for the 2022-23 season.
Cara Pittenger, CSO executive director, said a ticket refund policy has been put into place.
“Patrons holding tickets for the postponed events can elect to donate their ticket amount to the CSO or obtain a refund by calling the box office at 317-843-3800,” she said, adding that those who make the contribution to the orchestra “will be greatly appreciated by the organization.”
For more, visit carmelsymphony.org.
