A Letter to Our Subscribers
April 2, 2020
Dear Concerts International Subscribers,
The current health crisis, sadly, has forced many of us to take unusual measures to protect our health and the health of our families and friends. As a result of all this, Concerts International must cancel and reschedule our last three concerts. After all,
doing all we can to preserve your health and the health of our musicians is our primary responsibility at this point.
However, we, the board of Concerts International, refuse to despair. Here’s what else we’re doing, based on our faith in the ability of our nation to overcome this pandemic and our faith in the future of Concerts International.
1. We’re going ahead with plans for our 2020-21 season, our 49 th . Very soon you will receive details about this. Our artistic director has formed an exciting roster of stellar groups to perform for you. You won’t want to miss this. Please consider sending in your subscription as soon as you receive the brochure.
2. We are rescheduling the three concerts from our current season. In fact, Bridget Kibbey and the Dover quartet have already suggested they play for us in May of 2021. One of the agents we work with has suggested that we spread the rescheduled
concerts across two or three seasons.
3. Because your 2019-20 tickets include these programs, you will not face additional charges for those programs. Hold on to your tickets, and as we negotiate dates with those groups, we will inform you so you can plan.
4. The groups we’re having to reschedule are as sad about this as we are. But they have agreed to send us mini concerts and other material we can stream so you can still have access to wonderful programs and interesting features without having to
expose yourselves to illness. We’ll let you know about these opportunities as soon as they become available.
5. One of the communications we’ve received from an arts organization begins with the headline: We depend on the arts; the arts depend on us. Obviously, no performance, no paycheck for the musicians. Yet these musicians have already done a great deal of work for us and created unique programs for you. The Concerts International board has chosen to honor the work these three groups have done and to offer tangible support. Accordingly, Concerts International is paying them half the
contracted amount with the other half to be paid when they perform for you. After all, if our musicians can’t exist, Concerts International can’t exist.
Realistically, we can’t know for certain what the situation will be come September. We have faith that we’ll be able to move ahead with our new season. However, if the health situation doesn’t allow that, we’ll adjust and, of course, keep you
informed.
Concerts International depends on your support. We hope you realize what an impression you make on our performers. They tell us over and over how much they appreciate your intelligent and enthusiastic attention, how it energizes them, and that it
makes Memphis one of their favorite places to play. In short, they need you and treasure you.
A critical aspect of your support is financial. An amazing number of you contribute more than just the subscription price. Given the present situation, we need you to extend your generosity. Some arts organizations have suggested a percentage
increase in donations. We won’t, but we do ask for you to give serious thought to increasing your financial support of Concerts International. You can click here to make a donation now.
Plato tells us:
Music gives soul to the universe,
wings to the mind,
flight to the imagination,
and life to everything.
We’d enjoy having you send us an email (at ciinmemphis@gmail.com) telling us what music means to you, and we’ll post it on the Concerts International web site.
Until we can gather together again,
Keith Schap
President of the Board