July 1, 2020


Dear Friends of Emmanuel Music:

Summer is upon us, and if this were a regular season, our weekly Bach Cantata Series and concert season would have been recently completed. This summer was to feature two special performances anticipating our 50th anniversary season, with our first-ever performance at BachFest Leipzig as part of their international summer festival, and our planned production of Kurt Weill's The Firebrand of Florence at Tanglewood. Of course, both were canceled.

However, we are far from dormant. Though our weekly cantata streams have ended, we will continue to share a number of online offerings during the summer months, featuring members of our community of musicians in interviews and informal performances, as well as an experimental initiative in which some of our musicians are reaching out, through music and conversation, to connect with isolated members of the Emmanuel Music family.

Meanwhile, Artistic Director Ryan Turner and staff are engaged in developing a number of potential scenarios for next season's concerts, based on the latest guidance from our state and local officials and with primary concern for the safety and comfort of our concert-goers and musicians. Also, we are considering postponing our planned 50th anniversary celebrations in light of the current landscape for concerts. We will keep you updated as our plans progress.

We have been deeply affected by the turmoil our nation has been experiencing in response to systemic injustice. How Emmanuel Music can best address this issue has been the topic of much soul searching. Board president Dana Whiteside wrote eloquently in his recent post to share our response to date. We are actively searching for authentic ways to be a part of the solution, including an examination of our operations, both artistic and administrative, engaging with peer organizations around best practices, and seeking out and supporting partnerships with individuals and organizations. Interwoven with these discussions, our Board of Directors continues to be engaged in a strategic planning process involving all segments of our stakeholders, with an expected completion in the fall.

We are deeply grateful for your messages of support and for the generous contributions that we continue to receive during this challenging period. Emmanuel Music is carefully stewarding its financial resources, including revising budget projections for the coming season to take into account the full economic effect of the pandemic.

Even as we remain largely isolated, we know that it is essential to continue to pursue our mission and provide our community with the unique musical, spiritual, and intellectual experiences that they have come to depend on us for. At the same time, we are always thinking about our ability to support our musicians, many of whom rely on the income they receive as freelance performers.

I look forward to providing you with further updates across the summer, and I welcome your questions and suggestions in return.

Be safe and well,

Pat Krol
Executive Director