Like many music festivals throughout the United States in the past two months, the Trustees of Chesapeake Musichad to make gut-wrenching decision to cancel its flagship event, its 35th Chamber Music Festival, as the result of COVID-19. It was devastating news for thousands of fans who had made plans to come to Talbot County to enjoy this exceptionally well regarded program this month, but was equally disruptive to the dozens of performers that had planned on this event as part of making a living.
That was the first of many difficult decisions that Chesapeake Music’s executive director and his board had to make in the face of coronavirus crisis. But one thing that came out of those dark moments was the universal consensus that, one way or another, the Chamber Music Festival’s artists would still be heard. And it was at this point that the group agreed with the festival’s co-directors Catherine Cho and Marty Rosen, that a virtual format was in order as a suitable replacement.
Rather than transfer the programming to a Zoom format, Chesapeake Music professionally filmed its performers and would only showcase those concerts for twenty-four hours at a time, but then replaced by the next performance. It all begins on June 4.
The Spy talked to Don about this novel idea, as well as Chesapeake Music’s future, a few days ago.
This video is approximately four minutes in length. For more information about the 35th Chamber Music Festival please go here.