After careful analysis of the continued impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the Board of Directors of the National Music Festival has unanimously voted to cancel the 2020 season, which was originally scheduled for May 31-June 13 and later rescheduled for August 8-15.
“We have invested our hearts and souls in the preparation of what was to be an ambitious and inspiring 10th anniversary, and though it breaks our hearts, we have made the gut-wrenching decision to cancel this season,” said Richard Rosenberg, the Festival’s Artistic Director.
The National Music Festival’s board and staff feel an ethical obligation to do their part to protect the local community as well as the musicians who would normally travel to Chestertown from all over the country and beyond.
“We cannot take the risk of advancing the spread of the virus by moving forward with the plans for an August Festival,” said Caitlin Patton, NMF Executive Director. “We had hoped that it would work out for August, but at this time we see no way to keep our community and our musicians safe. We care about you all and your safety is of paramount importance. “
The 2021 Festival will feature the programming originally planned for 2020. The Fiddlesticks! Youth Strings Program will resume when it is safe to do so, and the Resonance Concert Series will resume in Fall 2021. As plans develop, more information will be available on the Festival’s website, www.nationalmusic.us. In the meantime, visit the National Music Festival on Facebook to enjoy recordings from past seasons.
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