Midsummer’s Music, utilizing mostly string instruments in a socially distanced setting, has put on 30 performances to an internet audience the past six weeks. Marketing Director Russ Warren says that has greatly expanded the audience.

Warren is also appreciative of The Violin Channel, a popular website and social media presence, for hosting the group on their feed. The average viewership for each performance is over 2,000 people. Warren says that traditional in-person attendance varied depending on the venue and the number of instruments needed for each show. A private home could have only a handful of concertgoers, and area churches hold as many as 80. Midsummer’s Music has done only one performance for a live audience. It was held outdoors with precautions taken, and Warren says it was a great success. He doesn’t expect a return to normal until the end of next year but hopes to incorporate more outdoor concerts for summer 2021.

Wind instruments like flute and clarinet are a significant part of chamber music, but the group has shied away from using them due to the potential for Covid-19 spread. That forced the group to rework its schedule entirely compared to the celebration of Ludwig van Beethoven that was planned. The famed composer’s 250th birthday is in December. Expect to see most of those selections be performed next year instead. 

Photo of Russ Warren courtesy of midsummersmusic.com.