The season must go on: Local symphony plans to stream concert

“Of course we were looking at ways to keep the music going,” said Maestro Adron Ming. “As time went by, we knew we couldn’t have all the musicians on the stage, and we couldn’t have an audience. We talked with our technical people and found it could happen online. Instead of all being all onstage at one time, we’re having the sections come onstage to rehearse and eventually record their part of the concert. String instruments will play string music, woodwind will play wind music, brass will play some brass pieces and two percussionists will play. Then we’ll stream the concert online.”

Nancy Wright, the president of the symphony’s board of directors said the recording will happen over two days.

“We looked at different ways of doing this, and ultimately this was the best way to move forward,” Wright said. “No two people can share a single chair without someone sanitizing it, so each musician will have their own chair. They’ll come into the space, sit with some distance between them and rehearse and then do the same to record. It has required a lot of thought process and logistical planning, especially on the part of the maestro. Just in having a way to social distance, that required a lot of discussion, a lot of planning.”

Ming said string players and percussionists will wear masks throughout their rehearsals and recording.

Woodwind and brass musicians have it harder.

“We are well aware of (the concerns about wind players being exposed to aerosol produced while playing) and to be honest, I won’t know until we’re actually in there for the first rehearsal if they’re able to hear each other. This is all going to be set up so that they are sitting together, but with some space between them. This isn’t something we’ve done before. We won’t know until we start rehearsing.”

By example, Ming said the piece that calls for the largest wind ensemble requires 13 players.

“We can place them all over the stage — there’s more than enough room at the MCL Grand. But we don’t know if they will be able to hear each other. They will be wearing masks until they play, which is of course of most concern. We’re taking every precaution possible,” Ming said.

Rehearsal starting times are staggered to give musicians enough time to leave before the next group comes in. Ming and the musicians will adapt to produce the best possible sound while practicing the needed hygiene.

Wright said the uncertainty about how the sections will sound reinforced the symphony’s decision to use the MCL Grand, its perennial venue.

“That’s the reason we’re doing the concert at the MCL grand,” Wright said. “From our years of performing, we know this is the most desirable acoustical hall that we know of, so we’re renting the MCL Grand to get the best possible chance of the musicians hearing each other.”

The concert includes Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings and works by Dmitri Shostakovich, Richard Strauss, Gustav Holst and others. Ming said the symphony has spent the last decade developing programs that are both popular and challenging. The nonprofit added the popular chamber music series, which typically highlights rising stars seeking graduate performance degrees at UNT, with donations collected instead of ticket sales. The symphony has a season that appeals to families and serious classical music fans. The ensemble is run by volunteers, but Ming and the musicians are paid for each rehearsal and concert.

Regional and cosmopolitan symphonies have shuttered during the pandemic — some of them leaving audiences in live classical music deserts. Wright said Lewisville Lake Symphony, which draws audiences from Dallas, Denton and Fort Worth, was in a better spot than many a regional symphony.

“It’s a very hard time,” Wright said. “I will say that, fortunately for us, we have been experiencing a lot of success over the last few years. Because the orchestra has done so well over the years, we’ve had a lot of support from our donors. Before this happened, we were actually looking at being able to do some bigger and better programming. It’s unfortunate that we are having to wait a while to get there. I don’t want to make it sound like we are rolling in dough, because we’re not, but we had a cushion.”

The symphony has had to eliminate a concert from the 2021 season, dropping the coming season from four to three performances. It won’t feel like a loss though, because “Bravo!” is happening online at 3 p.m. on Aug. 30. Viewers will buy a ticket and receive information on accessing a private YouTube channel. The chamber music series will stream for free.

Tickets cost $25 per household.

“Of course we know that one ticket could be for one person or a family of five,” Wright said. “We have a big challenge in front of us this season. We have to raise enough money to keep up with what we typically do, but we also have to plan for the future. We want growth. It’s going to take some creativity to get there.”

Ming said the goal is to keep the music going and to support artists.

“We want our musicians to keep working, too,” he said. “We think we can do both.”