2 minute read
Colorado Symphony Board of Trustees
But on March 13 everything changed. As the orchestra prepared for two sold-out Boettcher Concert Hall performances of The For the Colorado Music of Queen, news began to break that COVID-19 had reached a level of international Symphony, there was concern, so much so that it forced an unprecedented national stay-at-home order. only one answer: Despite limited information and a rapidly changing situation, the CSA made the difficult, Play On! but ultimately correct decision to postpone The Music of Queen on March 13 and 14 as well as all concerts through April 12. On March 17, the postponement timeframe was extended to May 11, and a few days after that, the Colorado Symphony was forced to cancel their largest fundraiser of the year, the Colorado Symphony Ball. A few weeks later, the organization announced the postponement of all remaining 2019/20 Season performances through May 31. Just like that, the season was over. Boettcher Concert Hall lay silent. And many were left to wonder what would come next. Live performances are the lifeblood of any orchestra, so what was an ensemble to do when faced with the difficult prospect of not being able to gather, practice together, or perform live with an audience for the foreseeable future? For the Colorado Symphony, there was only one answer: Play On! Through rapid ingenuity and innovation, the organization pivoted into the virtual realm, broadcasting desperately needed content into the homes of Coloradans and people around the world. It started with the #PlayOn campaign — a series of over 70 online videos created between March 13 and August 31, 2020. Colorado Symphony musicians, like everyone else across the state, were largely isolated in their homes and during that time they created a staggering amount of creative content, providing needed comfort and diversion during a time of incredible uncertainty and fear for people everywhere. One of the earliest video creations was a digital performance of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”, which debuted on March 23, less than two weeks after the nationwide shutdown. The video featured 49 Colorado Symphony musicians, each with a separately recorded part, which was combined in post-production for a virtual performance that captured the sound and essence of a full symphony orchestra. The video was an instant viral sensation, generating nearly 600,000 views on YouTube alone and millions more through national media exposure in features on NBC’s Today
