Symphony Silicon Valley

TO PROVIDE ORCHESTRAL MUSIC PERFORMANCES, EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, AND ARTS ADVOCACY PROGRAMS.

DURING 2020-21, WITH THE PANDEMIC AND ENSUING RESTRICTIONS IN FULL SWING, THE SYMPHONY PRODUCED NO CONCERTS OR OTHER MUSICAL ACTIVITIES WITH THE BRIEF EXCEPTION OF ONLINE DISCUSSIONS. THE 2020-21 SEASON HAD BEEN PROGRAMMED AND ANNOUNCED THE PREVIOUS SPRING - MUSIC SELECTED, CONDUCTORS AND SOLOISTS COMMITTED, BROCHURES MAILED - IN PREPARATION FOR COVID 19'S HOPED-FOR SUBSIDENCE. RENEWALS CONTINUED TO ARRIVE UNTIL EXTENSION OF THE SHUT-DOWN BECAME CLEAR AND THE SEASON WAS CANCELED.2020-21 WAS THEN FOCUSED ON SEVERAL PRIORITIES:1. KEEPING IN CLOSE TOUCH WITH THE SYMPHONY'S LAID OFF MUSICIANS (74 PLUS REGULAR SUBSTITUTES) AND FOUR STAFF MEMBERS. ALTHOUGH SOME MUSICIANS RETIRED, MOST REMAINED CLOSELY CONNECTED. NEGOTIATIONS WITH BOTH THE USHERS AND THE STAGEHANDS UNIONS PRODUCED FULL NEW CONTRACTS, WHILE THE MUSICIANS UNION AGREED TO A YEAR'S CONTRACT EXTENSION.2. APPLYING FOR, MANAGING, AND REPORTING ON A RANGE OF RELIEF GRANTS (FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL) THAT ALLOWED THE SYMPHONY TO PUT THE MUSICIANS, PLUS A FEW STAFF AND THEATER WORKERS, INTERMITTENTLY BACK ON PAYROLL.3. COMMUNICATING WITH SUBSCRIBERS, MAJOR DONORS, THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES (THE "BOARD"), AND THE SYMPHONY FIELD. THE SYMPHONY DID NOT MOUNT VIRTUAL ORCHESTRA CONCERTS IN 2020-21 SINCE COUNTY VENUE LIMITS PRECLUDED THE ASSEMBLING OF MID-SIZE PERFORMING ENSEMBLES. MANY SYMPHONY MUSICIANS HOWEVER PERFORMED VIRTUALLY, EITHER SOLO OR IN SMALL GROUPS. THE SYMPHONY ALSO SECURED SPONSORS FOR TWO LATE SUMMER CONCERT SETS, ADVANCING THE NEXT SEASON'S OPENING DATE. RELATIONSHIPS ESSENTIAL TO A NEW SEASON AND BEYOND REMAINED INTACT.4. RENEWING AND UPDATING PLANS AND COMMITMENTS FOR THE NEXT (2021-22) SEASON OF PERFORMANCES AND RESHAPING SOME, PARTICULARLY IN RESPONSE TO THE GROWING RECOGNITION OF STRUCTURAL RACISM. THE ORIGINAL SEASON WAS DESIGNED FOR IMPACT: BEETHOVEN'S BIRTHDAY, OUT-SCALE CHORALE WORKS, A JAZZ BASED PROGRAM, FAMED SOLOISTS, AND MORE. MUCH WAS RETAINED, PLEASING THE HUNDREDS WHO HAD BOUGHT THE TICKETS FOR CONCERTS NEVER YET PERFORMED.5. PIVOTING THE SEASON OPENING AND CLOSING PROGRAMS, HOWEVER, IN NEW DIRECTIONS. THE YEAR'S FIRST CONCERTS WOULD NOW FEATURE WITH THE WORLD PREMIERE MENTIONED ABOVE, BY NOTED MEXICAN COMPOSER GABRIELA ORTIZ ON THE THEME OF EL CAMINO REAL, THE LINK BETWEEN MEXICAN AND COLONIAL/AMERICAN CALIFORNIA. TO CONDUCT, MAESTRA JOANNE FALLETTA WOULD MAKE HER THIRD APPEARANCE WITH SYMPHONY SILICON VALLEY. BEETHOVEN'S SEVENTH WOULD STILL CONCLUDE SYMPHONY'S SEASON. THE THREE WORKS FRAMING IT, HOWEVER, WERE SHIFTED TO FEATURE A PIANO CONCERTO BY FLORENCE PRICE, FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN RECOGNIZED AS A SYMPHONY COMPOSER; A WORK BY GIFTED YOUNG AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTIST QUINN MASON; AND A 17TH CENTURY HARPSICHORD CLASSIC ORCHESTRATED BY MEXICAN CONDUCTOR/COMPOSER CESAR CHAVEZ.6. FOR YEARS, THE SYMPHONY HAS OBSERVED ITS YOUNGER AUDIENCE MEMBERS' ABSORBED RESPONSE TO HIGHLY VISUAL FILM WITH ORCHESTRA PROGRAMS. IN 2020-21 THE SYMPHONY TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE PROLONGED BREAK TO RESEARCH, DESIGN AND INSTALL A SOPHISTICATED IMAG (IMAGE MAGNIFIER) SYSTEM IN THE CALIFORNIA THEATRE, IN PART TO INCREASE APPEAL TO THESE LISTENERS. CLOSE-UP IMAGES OF THE MUSICIANS AS THEY PERFORM WILL PROJECT ON TWO SCREENS ON THE SIDES OF THE HALL, ENABLING LISTENERS TO CHOOSE THEIR PREFERRED MIX OF TRADITIONAL AND MULTI-SOURCE AUDIO-VISUAL EXPERIENCE. THE SCREENS WILL BE INTRODUCED IN FALL 2021. SYMPHONY SILICON VALLEY'S ALSO REPLACED THE ORCHESTRA'S 30-YEAR-OLD MUSIC CHAIRS AND STANDS WITH BADLY NEEDED NEW EQUIPMENT, READY FOR A NEW LAUNCH IN 2021-22.IN SUMMARY, THE SYMPHONY'S 2020-21 PROGRAM SERVICES SHIFTED THEIR EMPHASIS TO ASSISTING ITS UNEMPLOYED MUSICIANS AND THEATER WORKERS, ATTENDING TO LAID-OFF STAFF, MAINTAINING CONTACT WITH CUSTOMERS AND DONORS, SHAPING A NEW 2021-22 SEASON PLAN AND RESECURING ITS CONDUCTORS AND GUEST SOLOISTS, DEVELOPING A PROMISING IN-THEATER INNOVATION, SUBMITTING SUBSTANTIAL GOVERNMENT GRANT APPLICATIONS, ADMINISTERING AND REPORTING ON THE RESULTS, AND OVERALL, LIKE SO MANY, WORKING TO MAINTAIN AN INSTITUTIONAL FUTURE IN THE FACE OF EVOLVING CHALLENGES.

DURING 2020-21, WITH THE PANDEMIC AND ENSUING RESTRICTIONS IN FULL SWING, THE SYMPHONY PRODUCED NO CONCERTS OR OTHER MUSICAL ACTIVITIES WITH THE BRIEF EXCEPTION OF ONLINE DISCUSSIONS. THE 2020-21 SEASON HAD BEEN PROGRAMMED AND ANNOUNCED THE PREVIOUS SPRING - MUSIC SELECTED, CONDUCTORS AND SOLOISTS COMMITTED, BROCHURES MAILED - IN PREPARATION FOR COVID 19'S HOPED-FOR SUBSIDENCE. RENEWALS CONTINUED TO ARRIVE UNTIL EXTENSION OF THE SHUT-DOWN BECAME CLEAR AND THE SEASON WAS CANCELED.2020-21 WAS THEN FOCUSED ON SEVERAL PRIORITIES:1. KEEPING IN CLOSE TOUCH WITH THE SYMPHONY'S LAID OFF MUSICIANS (74 PLUS REGULAR SUBSTITUTES) AND FOUR STAFF MEMBERS. ALTHOUGH SOME MUSICIANS RETIRED, MOST REMAINED CLOSELY CONNECTED. NEGOTIATIONS WITH BOTH THE USHERS AND THE STAGEHANDS UNIONS PRODUCED FULL NEW CONTRACTS, WHILE THE MUSICIANS UNION AGREED TO A YEAR'S CONTRACT EXTENSION.2. APPLYING FOR, MANAGING, AND REPORTING ON A RANGE OF RELIEF GRANTS (FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL) THAT ALLOWED THE SYMPHONY TO PUT THE MUSICIANS, PLUS A FEW STAFF AND THEATER WORKERS, INTERMITTENTLY BACK ON PAYROLL.3. COMMUNICATING WITH SUBSCRIBERS, MAJOR DONORS, THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES (THE "BOARD"), AND THE SYMPHONY FIELD. THE SYMPHONY DID NOT MOUNT VIRTUAL ORCHESTRA CONCERTS IN 2020-21 SINCE COUNTY VENUE LIMITS PRECLUDED THE ASSEMBLING OF MID-SIZE PERFORMING ENSEMBLES. MANY SYMPHONY MUSICIANS HOWEVER PERFORMED VIRTUALLY, EITHER SOLO OR IN SMALL GROUPS. THE SYMPHONY ALSO SECURED SPONSORS FOR TWO LATE SUMMER CONCERT SETS, ADVANCING THE NEXT SEASON'S OPENING DATE. RELATIONSHIPS ESSENTIAL TO A NEW SEASON AND BEYOND REMAINED INTACT.4. RENEWING AND UPDATING PLANS AND COMMITMENTS FOR THE NEXT (2021-22) SEASON OF PERFORMANCES AND RESHAPING SOME, PARTICULARLY IN RESPONSE TO THE GROWING RECOGNITION OF STRUCTURAL RACISM. THE ORIGINAL SEASON WAS DESIGNED FOR IMPACT: BEETHOVEN'S BIRTHDAY, OUT-SCALE CHORALE WORKS, A JAZZ BASED PROGRAM, FAMED SOLOISTS, AND MORE. MUCH WAS RETAINED, PLEASING THE HUNDREDS WHO HAD BOUGHT THE TICKETS FOR CONCERTS NEVER YET PERFORMED.5. PIVOTING THE SEASON OPENING AND CLOSING PROGRAMS, HOWEVER, IN NEW DIRECTIONS. THE YEAR'S FIRST CONCERTS WOULD NOW FEATURE WITH THE WORLD PREMIERE MENTIONED ABOVE, BY NOTED MEXICAN COMPOSER GABRIELA ORTIZ ON THE THEME OF EL CAMINO REAL, THE LINK BETWEEN MEXICAN AND COLONIAL/AMERICAN CALIFORNIA. TO CONDUCT, MAESTRA JOANNE FALLETTA WOULD MAKE HER THIRD APPEARANCE WITH SYMPHONY SILICON VALLEY. BEETHOVEN'S SEVENTH WOULD STILL CONCLUDE SYMPHONY'S SEASON. THE THREE WORKS FRAMING IT, HOWEVER, WERE SHIFTED TO FEATURE A PIANO CONCERTO BY FLORENCE PRICE, FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN RECOGNIZED AS A SYMPHONY COMPOSER; A WORK BY GIFTED YOUNG AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTIST QUINN MASON; AND A 17TH CENTURY HARPSICHORD CLASSIC ORCHESTRATED BY MEXICAN CONDUCTOR/COMPOSER CESAR CHAVEZ.6. FOR YEARS, THE SYMPHONY HAS OBSERVED ITS YOUNGER AUDIENCE MEMBERS' ABSORBED RESPONSE TO HIGHLY VISUAL FILM WITH ORCHESTRA PROGRAMS. IN 2020-21 THE SYMPHONY TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE PROLONGED BREAK TO RESEARCH, DESIGN AND INSTALL A SOPHISTICATED IMAG (IMAGE MAGNIFIER) SYSTEM IN THE CALIFORNIA THEATRE, IN PART TO INCREASE APPEAL TO THESE LISTENERS. CLOSE-UP IMAGES OF THE MUSICIANS AS THEY PERFORM WILL PROJECT ON TWO SCREENS ON THE SIDES OF THE HALL, ENABLING LISTENERS TO CHOOSE THEIR PREFERRED MIX OF TRADITIONAL AND MULTI-SOURCE AUDIO-VISUAL EXPERIENCE. THE SCREENS WILL BE INTRODUCED IN FALL 2021. SYMPHONY SILICON VALLEY'S ALSO REPLACED THE ORCHESTRA'S 30-YEAR-OLD MUSIC CHAIRS AND STANDS WITH BADLY NEEDED NEW EQUIPMENT, READY FOR A NEW LAUNCH IN 2021-22.IN SUMMARY, THE SYMPHONY'S 2020-21 PROGRAM SERVICES SHIFTED THEIR EMPHASIS TO ASSISTING ITS UNEMPLOYED MUSICIANS AND THEATER WORKERS, ATTENDING TO LAID-OFF STAFF, MAINTAINING CONTACT WITH CUSTOMERS AND DONORS, SHAPING A NEW 2021-22 SEASON PLAN AND RESECURING ITS CONDUCTORS AND GUEST SOLOISTS, DEVELOPING A PROMISING IN-THEATER INNOVATION, SUBMITTING SUBSTANTIAL GOVERNMENT GRANT APPLICATIONS, ADMINISTERING AND REPORTING ON THE RESULTS, AND OVERALL, LIKE SO MANY, WORKING TO MAINTAIN AN INSTITUTIONAL FUTURE IN THE FACE OF EVOLVING CHALLENGES.