Dear Strings Family,
Strings has been a part of my life since I was five years old; I’ve spent all of my summers since then enjoying beautiful music in Steamboat. I never would have imagined that 33 years later I would be sharing this news with you.
In the interest of the health of our patrons, our staff, our musicians, and the community, we are canceling all Strings Music Festival performances and events until they are safe to resume. For the time being, that includes all our events through the end of this August.
This decision is the result of months of scrutiny of the pandemic in consultation with health officials, our staff, our board, key colleagues in our industry, and fellow organizations across our community. In addition to ensuring everyone’s health and safety, a key factor in this decision is our unwavering commitment to impeccable music and experiences. More than a year of inspired work and intricate logistical planning goes into each annual Strings Music Festival: from curation of our programs to recruiting more than 150 musicians. At this point, we have determined that we can no longer assure a festival that meets our standards.
We are actively lining up performers to take the stage as soon as we can reopen the Pavilion. Please take heart from the fact that we successfully rescheduled the majority of our March shows, and we expect that most of our 40+ summer performances will find new dates next summer if not sooner. In the meantime, you can expect ongoing curated offerings from us, starting with virtual experiences we’ve already begun sharing. From educational materials to live streaming performances and audio playlists featuring our past artists, we’ll help you find uplifting Strings-worthy experiences to bring a little joy into your lives.
Our mission promises, in part, to “present innovative programs of distinctive classical and popular contemporary music in an intimate and friendly setting.” While the Strings Pavilion is our marquee venue, we have become known for innovation in how and where we present our programs. From performances in outdoor spaces to online connections between accomplished musicians and local students, we have spent more than three decades reaching our community in creative ways. This spirit of innovation will only strengthen and grow in the months ahead.
There is challenging work ahead. We wouldn’t be the organization we are today without the dedication of people like you. And we couldn’t look so confidently to the future without your ongoing support. What we’ve accomplished just in the past six months is truly remarkable and your support today is as deeply appreciated and valuable as it’s ever been.
As part of the Strings family, you may have questions. Visit our frequently asked questions to learn more about this announcement and our plans for the future or reach out to me or other Strings staff members. The staff and I are working to connect with each of our stakeholders as we coordinate next steps.
The Board of Directors and staff of Strings Music Festival wish you health in body, mind, and spirit through this crisis. Please join us in wishing well to everyone suffering in the face of this pandemic.
Sincerely,
Elissa Greene
Executive Director, Strings Music Festival