The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra is Canceling March 13-15 Performances at the Marcus Performing Arts Center Due to Ever-Increasing Concerns Over the Spread of the COVID-19 Virus

March 12, 2020 – As the safety of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s audience, musicians, visiting guest artists, staff, and greater community is the orchestra’s top priority, the Milwaukee Symphony is canceling this weekend’s (Friday, March 13 through Sunday, March 15) performances at the Marcus Performing Arts Center due to concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

The Milwaukee Symphony will continue to be in regular communication with our larger MSO family and ticket holders with updates about our future performance and event schedule. We will assess resuming operations on a weekly basis.

The Milwaukee Symphony’s decision to cancel performances has been influenced by recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, ongoing official news reports, and an abundance of concern for what the organization can do to best ensure the well-being of everyone in the Milwaukee community.

“The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s decision to cancel our performances this weekend at the Marcus Center are made out of concern for the safety and well-being our audience, musicians, staff, and the entire Milwaukee community,” said Mark Niehaus, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra president and executive director. “During this time of uncertainty, we encourage our larger community to follow all the health recommendations of the CDC, WHO, and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, and to please take care of yourselves and each other. We look forward to returning to the concert hall soon so that we can continue to share the joy of music with our community.” The Milwaukee Symphony’s internal constituencies, including staff and musicians, have been made aware of the important facts about COVID-19 and have been asked to abide by the latest public health guidance and hygienic recommendations, outlined at www.cdc.gov, including avoiding close contact with people who are sick and avoiding touching their eyes, nose, and mouth; staying home when they are sick and always covering their cough or sneeze to prevent the spread of germs; and washing their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

Due to the financial impact of concert cancellations on the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, we ask patrons, whenever possible, to consider ticket exchanges (by way of gift certificates or future performances) or a donation in the amount of the ticket purchased (and receive a tax deduction for the
total ticket value). Otherwise, the Milwaukee Symphony will provide a refund for the value of the ticket purchased. For further information about ticket accommodations or to request further information about the concert cancellations, patrons can contact the Milwaukee Symphony’s Ticket Office at tickets@mso.org or call 414.291.7605. Due to the unusually high call volume, you may experience a greater hold time than usual. We encourage you to contact the MSO at tickets@mso.org.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.