New series delayed one year; make-ups pushed to spring ’21

GREEN BAY – Brown County Civic Music Association announces today (Friday, June 19, 2020) that it is immediately suspending its just-launched membership campaign and will reschedule classical music groups announced for the 2020-2021 Classical Series to the following season.

Cancellations include not only concerts that are part of the new series but also two that were rescheduled from spring as Covid-19 concerns cut short last season’s series. Cancelled are:
• Maxwell Street Klezmer Band, Sept. 3, 2020 at the Ashwaubenon PAC *
• Sphinx Virtuosi, Oct. 3, Weidner Center
• Janoska Ensemble, Nov. 14, West High’s Holter Auditorium
• Washington Saxophone Quartet, Dec. 12, Holter Auditorium *
• VocalEssence Ensemble Singers, March 13, 2021, Holter Auditorium
• Alliance Brass, April 17, Holter Auditorium
                            * 2019-’20 attractions, previously rescheduled

Board president Christopher Sampson says that as recently as three weeks ago, Civic Music was optimistic that many or all of the scheduled concerts could proceed. Consideration was given to a “split-concert” format that would have spread concertgoers over two separate, shortened performances on a given evening to make social distancing easier.

With a growing cascade of venue cancellations locally and nationally, however, and some agents and artists advising Civic Music of increasing doubts about fall and even spring tours, the Association’s board of directors voted unanimously earlier this week to postpone the upcoming subscription series in its entirety.

Civic Music has a current subscription base of about 650 members. Sampson says the few dozen accounts that have already renewed for the now-postponed 2020-21 Classical Series are being contacted by phone and email. Subscribers will be offered cancellation refunds or a payment credit toward the same five performances when presented as the 2021-22 season.

The Association hopes to present makeup concerts beginning in April of 2021, to bring subscribers the three attractions that were cancelled this past spring. If public health allows, the concerts will be Maxwell Street Klezmer, April 17 at Holter Auditorium; the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, April 23 at the Weidner; and the Washington Saxophone Quartet, date and venue TBD. Tickets purchased for last spring’s concerts will be honored at these events.

For more information, visit www.BCcivicmusic.org or call 920 338-1801.