COVID-19 UPDATE

To our Symphoria Family,

Symphoria is eager to start rehearsals on September 23, and we can’t wait for our 2020-21 season to officially begin on Saturday, September 26 with A Grand Overture with Jon Nakamatsu, part of our PEC, Inc. Masterworks Series. The following week brings John Williams’ Greatest Hits, our opening Pops series concert for the season.

We’ve been closely following state guidelines for reopening and the most up-to-date health news. For the months of September, October and November all concerts will be live-streamed from Inspiration Hall with no in-person audiences.

This means the orchestra will perform live on stage (socially distanced and using health department-reviewed precautions) without an audience, and you will be able to access the live concert from home. This isn’t the way any of us are used to sharing music, and it’s what we need to do right now to keep everyone safe and able to share the best Symphoria experience possible.

What does this mean for you?

1.  Any subscribers with assigned seats, single ticket buyers, and Symphoria Unlimited Subscribers will receive the link to view the concert the week before the event. We will be broadcasting using the Vimeo platform, and you can learn more about best ways to access and listen to our concerts in the coming days on our website.

2. Single tickets and subscriptions to live-stream concerts will be sold for all events. Live-stream tickets are $20 for individuals and $35 for families, and Symphoria Unlimited subscriptions, which provide access to all Symphoria concerts, begin at $19.99/month.

3. We will have a full week of virtual events leading up to each concert. Here’s our plan leading up to our first PEC, Inc. Masterworks series concert on September 26. All events are free for anyone to attend virtually, with the exception of the VIP Virtual Cocktail Hour.

  • Monday, 9/21: Interview with Jessie Montgomery, composer of Banner
  • Tuesday, 9/22: Email with program notes and our NEW digital concert program for the weekend’s concert
  • Wednesday, 9/23: Pre-concert talk available online, featuring Music Director Lawrence Loh and Jon Nakamatsu, pianist
  • Thursday, 9/24: At Home with Symphoria interview with a Symphoria Musician for a behind-the-scenes look at the musical selections and the rehearsal process
  • Friday, 9/25: Radio interview on WCNY with Diane Jones and the week’s guest artist
  • Friday evening:, 9/25 A virtual VIP Cocktail Party for subscribers and major donors
  • Saturday, 9/26: Online pre-concert activities begin at 6:45, the downbeat is at 7:30

We all have a lot of questions about this season. Here’s what we know right now:

How do I watch the live-stream concert?

Take a few minutes to create a free account on Vimeo. Then, check out our how-to-watch guide on our website, which will be up in the coming week. You must purchase a ticket or subscription to view Symphoria concerts. If you have questions about creating a Vimeo account, give us a call at 315-299-5598.

I already purchased tickets and I don’t want to watch live-stream concert. What are my options?

First, we ask that you give live-streaming a try, if at all possible. We are here to help you every step of the way, so feel free to reach out to info@experiencesymphoria.org or call 315-299-5598 for assistance. If you don’t like it or have any issues, please call our Box Office the Monday morning after the concert.

I understand that playing for a live audience isn’t possible right now, but this just isn’t the same. What can I do to have a better at-home experience?

We get it. Here are some things other patrons are planning for the fall:

  1. Start a Symphoria Supper Club, and invite a friend or two over to enjoy refreshments before and during the concert, and enjoy watching your favorite orchestra with friends if you feel safe being in a socially-distanced group of 4, 6, or 8!
  2. Grab a glass of your favorite concert beverage to enjoy. The good news is you can skip the lines at the lobby bars!
  3. Dim the lights when Symphoria tunes, the same as what we do at the Civic Center at concert time.
  4. Check out our how-to guide on connecting your laptop to your television using an HDMI cord. There are also several ways to use your Smart TV to access the concert directly on your TV. This will be posted on our website in the coming days.
  5. Attend the pre-concert talk via the live-stream beginning at 6:45.

I don’t want to watch at the scheduled time. Can I purchase a ticket and watch later?

Not yet. It’s important to us that we preserve the shared experience of a live concert, even if we’re not in the concert hall together, just like we used to tune in to The Wonderful World of Disney when we were kids.

Do you have questions that weren’t answered here?   Please do not hesitate to contact me, and I’ll be happy to answer them for you.

Pamela Murchison
Executive Director
(315) 434-5644

Ticket Exchange Policy

To our Symphoria Family,

Thank you again for your patience and understanding as we try to navigate the coming days and weeks. I know that you are eager to know what this means for you and the tickets you have purchased to attend our March events.

For now, Symphoria concerts are suspended. No matter what happens next, we do know that your Symphoria experience over the next few weeks will be different than we had planned. We are working out several different options for patrons who have tickets to our March performances. Much will depend on the news in the next few weeks.

Symphoria has always offered a Ticket Exchange Policy for our subscribers and ticket buyers. What does that mean right now?

1. You can call the Box Office at 315-299-5598 at any point to exchange your March tickets for another performance this spring.

2. You can donate your ticket back to Symphoria as a fully-tax-deductible donation to the orchestra. We need your support now more than ever.

We know it’s a lot to ask, but please hold tight and be patient with us until we know the next steps. We don’t want to miss any opportunity to share music with you. Please know that while we aren’t offering refunds, we do promise to honor our commitment to provide the best musical experience we can for each of the concerts you have a ticket for. We just don’t know exactly what that looks like right now.

Again, we can’t thank you enough for everything you do to make music possible in Central New York. Please continue to check our website and Facebook and Instagram accounts regularly for updates and fun ways that we’ll be looking to connect with you in the coming weeks. An orchestra is nothing without an audience, and we are so glad that you are part of Symphoria’s.

In the meantime, please do not hesitate to call me directly with any questions, concerns, or frustrations. We know how you feel.

All my very best,

Pamela Murchison
Executive Director