Arts in the Woods on Covid Hiatus
You may remember the pre-Covid years when Brian Ganz would treat us to a solo piano performance previewing his most recent edition of a multi-year project covering all of the works of Frédéric Chopin. For a decade these pre-Strathmore performances (named for the Strathmore Music Center where the full concert with the National Philharmonic would occur) filled the UUCA sanctuary with an audience eager to hear this world-recognized piano virtuoso. The enthusiasm for these concerts and Brian’s joy in bringing classical music to the UUCA community-led, in 2014, to the start of a yearly concert series, which became known as our Arts in the Woods series.
For seven years, volunteers, including Brian, have worked to bring quality music to UUCA and the larger Annapolis community–until Covid interfered early last year. Of the four concerts on the calendar for 2020, we were able to offer Brian’s pre-Strathmore performance in January and then the stage “went dark.” By mid-year our concert team did what so many artist groups hit hard by the pandemic did: move to virtual performances live-streamed online or pre-recorded from home studios.
In August and again in November Arts in the Woods offered online concerts, the first featuring Brian Ganz with the Sunrise String Quartet, the second a collaborative project with the Annapolis Chamber Music Festival. We offered these free and requested donations, and we used the opportunities to learn about producing online content.
Our conclusion as 2021 approached is that online concerts are not self-sustaining. While “attendance” was good, the programs did not generate sufficient donations to cover the costs. We have decided to suspend the concert series until it is safe to gather for in-person concerts again, at which time a team will re-evaluate the future of the program.
Meanwhile, we wish to thank all of the loyal volunteers and donors who have supported the Arts in the Woods program over the years. And we especially thank Brian Ganz for being the inspiration and artistic director for bringing outstanding music to our eyes and ears.
You can still hear Brian perform Chopin on his YouTube channel, and especially on Sunday, May 9, at 2 p.m., when he presents his 11th consecutive year of performing Chopin at the Music Center at Strathmore. For information, visit https://nationalphilharmonic.org/event/brian-ganz-plays-chopin/