ASO Postpones Main Series to Fall 2021

Posted Aug 03, 2020 | ASO News, Press Releases, 

Alexandria, VA—The Alexandria Symphony Orchestra (ASO) announces the postponement of concerts originally scheduled for the 2020-2021 main subscription series.

“ASO Music Director Jim Ross put together a thrilling package of programs for this coming season,” said ASO Executive Director George Hanson. “It breaks our hearts not to be able to present them as planned due to the current health crisis. To preserve the integrity of Jim’s vision, we have moved the entire season’s programming, virtually intact, into the 2021-2022 season.”

For the current 2020-2021 season ASO will continue to present live music in outdoor venues around Alexandria with small ensembles and limited, socially-distanced audiences. If conditions permit, indoor venues may be incorporated in Spring 2021.

This summer the symphony convened a task force consisting of Trustees, musicians, staff and community members to consider the feasibility of presenting the main subscription series, which was planned and announced prior to the COVID-19 crisis. The task force recommended the postponement to protect the health and safety of its patrons, musicians, staff and volunteers.

“The global pandemic has sadly forced many arts organizations to cancel or postpone performances,” says ASO Board President Melynda Wilcox. “We look forward to presenting this exciting series when it is safe to do so. In the meantime, ASO remains active, bringing live music to the community in creative new ways.”

The plans for ASO’s 2020-2021 season, now slated for 2021-2022, involve collaborations with arts groups including the Alexandria Choral Society, Alexandria Film Festival, BalletNOVA, and the National Symphony Orchestra horn section.

“Our 2021-2022 season will be bursting with energy—full of masterworks, collaborations, and imaginative presentations,” says Maestro James Ross. “By next fall we expect to be able to move indoors with the large-scale programs we had planned. It will truly be a meaningful and unforgettable season, one that will inspire people to re-gather.”

In the fall, our ASO Sympatico program will continue to serve students at John Adams Elementary and Patrick Henry K-8 school through online sessions modeled after those that were provided this spring when school buildings were closed.