Seattle Chamber Music Society Says Its Online Festival Went Surprisingly Well

What, cheerful classical music news right now? Yes. Adding comments such as “filled my life with joy,” hundreds of patrons responded to a survey about the Chamber Music Society’s Virtual Summer Music Festival. The festival “rated 8.4 on a scale of 10. It brought in 389 new ticket purchasers (32% of patrons) and 92 first-time donors, many international patrons, and 300 more subscribers than usual — likely because there were no constraints on the size of the concert-hall space.” – Seattle Times

The Arts Bailout In The UK Gives Hope, And A Few More Months, To Some

The bailout came to more than 2,000 arts organizations and venues in Britain (and U.S. arts groups are feeling quite jealous). But: “For many, the joy might not last long. The terms of the grants state that they must be spent by Mar. 31 next year. After that, on Apr. 1, if institutions can’t operate profitably with social distancing limiting numbers, many will again face the prospect of layoffs or closing.” – The New York Times