✉ Meeting audiences at home with weekly Zoom Recitals

Wichita Symphony meets audiences at home with weekly Zoom Recitals

NEWS RELEASE
Wichita Symphony Orchestra

August 17, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Arleigh McCormick
Public Relations Manager
amccormick@wso.org
Can be reached during office hours
at 316.440.7097 | Mon-Thu, 10am-4pm

(Wichita, KS) In an effort to remain connected to patrons during the pandemic, the Wichita Symphony Orchestra (WSO) has been hosting weekly live Zoom recitals with Concertmaster Holly Mulcahy.

Friday, March 13 lived up to its reputation. With only 24 hours notice before a March 14 performance, the Sedgwick County Health Department imposed a ban on all events exceeding 250 people to help curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. Along with hundreds of live performance organizations across the country, the Wichita Symphony was forced to postpone, and ultimately cancel the remainder of its 2019-2020 concert season.

Following the restrictions, the WSO remained connected to patrons with online activities and radio re-broadcasts of archived concerts. In collaboration with Larksfield Place, a senior retirement community in Wichita, the weekly series of Zoom recitals initially targeted a demographic under strict lockdown and isolation during the pandemic. The popularity of the recitals quickly grew beyond the retirement community and gained a devoted following of listeners coast to coast and even some international participants. The recitals are currently offered for free to listeners who register online in advance.

“Using the interactive nature of this concert series, we've made new friends, heard directly from audience members, and have been able to curate and craft concerts with an inclusive nature." - Holly Mulcahy, Wichita Symphony Concertmaster

Since the Zoom series began in March, over 700 participants have registered and tuned in online at 2 p.m. CDT on Monday afternoons. In addition to Wichita Symphony musicians, guests have included clarinetist John Bruce Yeh of the Chicago Symphony, pianist Wang Jie, and over twenty composers such as Kenji Bunch, British composer Shirley Thompson, Amit May Cohen, and Quinn Mason. Concertmaster Mulcahy performs solo violin music from her residence in Chicago and engages in interactive discussions with guests, Wichita Music Director Daniel Hege, and members of the audience.

Pictured - Top: Composers Wang Jie, Quinn Mason | Bottom: Kenji Bunch, Shirley Thompson

“It's been heartening watching the audience more than quadruple and expand beyond Wichita,” says Concertmaster Holly Mulcahy, who also serves as the Orchestra’s Partner for Audience Engagement, a chair sponsored by the Trust Company of Kansas.

“Using the interactive nature of this concert series, we've made new friends, heard directly from audience members, and have been able to curate and craft concerts with an inclusive nature,” continues Mulcahy. We've had nine world premieres, including new works by Hollywood film composers George S. Clinton and Peter Golub.”

Recitals will continue through August, possibly longer depending on the pandemic. To register for upcoming Zoom recitals, visit WichitaSymphony.org or the WSO’s Facebook Page.

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