The Chattanooga Symphony & Opera has canceled the remainder of its regular performances for the 2019-20 season because of the coronavirus pandemic, CSO officials announced Monday.
Affected concerts include "Michael Cavanaugh: The Music of Billy Joel" on April 18 and "Pictures at an Exhibition" on April 30. All educational events scheduled for "Pictures" also have been canceled.
The organization previously canceled its performances of "Lights! Camera! Pops!" on March 21, "Disney in Concert: Tale as Old as Time" on March 28 and "Dona Nobis Pacem" on April 2 after the city of Chattanooga recommended that the Tivoli Theatre suspend all concerts through at least April 3. The CSO's performance of "Apollo & Jupiter" with the Chattanooga Ballet also was canceled after Chattanooga State Community College suspended all on-campus events until March 31, but efforts are being made to reschedule that performance.
The CSO has taken steps to ensure that musicians will still be paid 50% of lost wages for canceled performances, including instituting a temporary salary reduction for all other administrative and artistic staff.
Refunds for canceled performances have greatly impacted the organization, officials said in a news release, and ticketholders are encouraged to donate their ticket back to the CSO or exchange tickets for a performance in the 2020-21 season, which begins in September.
Refund requests will be honored, but they must be submitted by the first Sunday following the scheduled performance date. Contact the CSO box office at cortenzo@chattanoogasymphony.org for more information. Refunds may take up to 10 business days to process.