A week ago, the Sarasota Orchestra announced the postponement of its 2020-21 season to 2021-22, due to safety concerns for musicians and audiences because of Covid-19. Now the Venice Symphony has followed suit, announcing today that the season planned for November 2020 to April 2021 will now be moved a year later.

In a press release, Christine Kasten, president/CEO of the symphony, said, “We know that this is a disappointment to our musicians, staff, the community and especially our dedicated patrons, many of whom have been attending our symphony for decades. As this crisis has continued, we ultimately realized it would not be possible to guarantee the health and safety of our patrons, musicians, staff and volunteers, and present the exciting concert experience Maestro Quinn had planned and our audience deserves.”

The symphony normally performs at Venice Performing Arts Center, which is located on the campus of Venice High School. Right now, no decision has been made regarding the ability of the symphony and other arts groups to use the facility.

According to the release, making this decision now allows the symphony to retain this season’s scheduled guest artists for next season. Patrons who have subscribed to the 2020-21 season will have the opportunity to retain their seats for 2021-22, request a refund or donate the ticket purchase back to the organization.

As with many other arts groups, the Venice Symphony intends to present what music director/conductor Troy Quinn calls a “reimagined season” of virtual concerts, including The Venice Symphony at Home for the Holidays. This series will premiere in November (details to come soon) and will be offered at no charge to all, with enhanced virtual experiences provided to subscribers.

Symphony administrators hope the situation will improve so that musicians can present chamber group and smaller performances safely in venues in Sarasota County. The Venice Symphony Youth Orchestra will continue its socially distanced outdoor rehearsals and also hopes to perform in concert in the community.

“Songs from the Stage and Screen with Linda Eder” and “Patriotic Pops” at CoolToday Park are still scheduled to take place in May 2021. To stay updated on symphony events, visit the venicesymphony.org.