Coronavirus Concerns Stymie Live Music Performances And SXSW
On Wednesday night in Switzerland, the French violinist Renaud Capuçon and the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra played a full concert — to an empty hall.
Their performance, which was canceled after the Swiss government prohibited all gatherings of 1000 or more people, was broadcast by Swiss public television and radio. It's just one of the ways that performers and organizations worldwide are grappling with the uncertainties of the coronavirus, and how to handle large gatherings of audiences in close quarters.
The Western classical music industry is now heavily reliant upon East Asia, and , as crucial consumer markets. In recent weeks, the has cancelled a tour of Asia and Washington, D.C.'s National Symphony Orchestra has . New York's famed all in-person auditions and other admissions-related activities indefinitely.
