The Schubert Club has joined Minnesota Opera and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra in scaling back its season. All of its live concerts and recitals have been canceled till January at the earliest, because of restrictions on public gatherings imposed by the coronavirus.
"Many of our planned performances will be presented online," said Barry Kempton, artistic and executive director, in a video message.
These include recitals by the Pacifica Quartet (Sept. 20), American tenor Lawrence Brownlee (Oct. 4) and internationally acclaimed violinist Midori (Nov. 10). The popular "Courtroom Concert" series (noon, Thursdays) will also be featured.
"All concerts that we stream online will be free and accessible for all to enjoy," Kempton added.
Two major recital series have been postponed indefinitely, however: the much-anticipated complete cycle of Beethoven string quartets by the Danish String Quartet — already postponed once this past spring and rescheduled for fall — and a "Schubert Revealed" project curated by cellist David Finckel (ex-Emerson Quartet) and pianist Wu Han that had been set for November.
New dates for both projects will be announced in the fall, Kempton said. "We think these two special projects are worthwhile postponing, so that all those who have tickets can enjoy the experience of being immersed more deeply in these musical explorations."
He acknowledged that the picture from January 2021 onward is uncertain, and will depend on public health guidance about the coronavirus.
"Though ticket revenue remains uncertain, we are committed to paying artists fair performance fees," he said.
