No audiences are allowed at its concerts this fall, but the Minnesota Orchestra will still be playing.
A streamlined series of six Friday evening concerts was announced Monday, replacing the orchestra's previously advertised fall season.
All six will be televised live from Orchestra Hall on Twin Cities Public Television's Minnesota Channel and on the orchestra's website. Most will also be live on Minnesota Public Radio classical stations.
The concerts begin Oct. 2 as part of what orchestra President Michelle Miller Burns called a "gradual phased return to concert performances."
Not all of the orchestra will be involved in each concert. Social distancing protocols mean that a maximum of 25 musicians can fit onto the Orchestra Hall stage, with additional health and safety measures also in operation.
The orchestra last performed in full on March 13 — a concert without an audience that was broadcast by MPR. Last month it experimented with a partial return to live performance with a string of socially distanced chamber music recitals, presented outdoors on Peavey Plaza.
Music director Osmo Vänskä will lead two of this fall's six concerts, including the Oct. 2 opener. He will play a key role in choosing repertoire suitable for an orchestra about one-third its normal size.
"The musicians, artistic staff and I relish the challenge of programming fall concerts with new repertoire and new combinations of players that can showcase the versatility of the orchestra," he said in a statement. "We thank our ticket holders and supporters for their understanding and flexibility as we unroll plans that are significantly different from what we originally programmed."
