Messiah among “classics for small chamber orchestra” on the bill

By Peter Alexander June 10 at 9:10 p.m.

Pro Musica Colorado Chamber Orchestra today addressed their plans for the 2020–21 season.

There is of course much that is not known about the conditions under which any performing arts organizations will be able or allowed to present performances in the coming year. The uncertainty is great enough that organizations local and world wide, from the Boulder Chorale to the New York Philharmonic, have announced that they do not plan to perform before January, 2021.

In that context, Pro Musica Colorado has said that they are planning a season that will be “flexible, resilient, and exercises good Colorado grit.” That statement comes from a letter sent out today over the signature of the group’s music director, Cynthia Katsarelis.

“We will observe the guidelines published by the CDC, the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, the Boulder County Health Department, and the Musician’s Union work rules,” the letter says. In that spirit, performances may or may not be open to a limited public audience, but in either case they will be live streamed.

“We will work out ticketing, and perhaps offer a digital subscription. Some of this is still under construction, but Pro Musica Colorado will be present, making music and doing educational outreach in Boulder,” the letter promises.

Dates and details of repertoire will be announced at a later date. For now, the orchestra is planning to perform “classics for small chamber orchestra,” including Handel’s Messiah, Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings and Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring.

Katsarelis concludes her letter with a statement of aspirations and hopes. “Our souls long for sharing live music,” she wrote. “And frankly, I believe we have a collective yearning for inclusivity and equity as well.

“In a time of broken hearts, there is music that can help heal some of our collective heartache.”