SEISO plans to continue providing listening opportunities to local audiences

Like many other performing groups, the Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra (SEISO) saw an untimely end to their 2019-2020 season due to the coronavirus outbreak, but are still hoping to provide performing and listening opportunities to the community in the coming months.

Orchestra conductor Robert McConnell said his group of local musicians haven't played since mid-March.

'We had just completed our school tours on Wednesday, March 11 and then March 12 was when a lot of stuff started getting shut down. We had concerts a week later and at the end of April - they were all canceled,” he said. Before COVID-19, McConnell said the only cancellations the orchestra has ever made has been due to weather and have only been one-off cancellations.

While venues can more easily be adjusted for audiences, McConnell noted some of the health guidelines are difficult for performers to follow, especially for large groups like his, which usually sees about 55 to 60 members on stage at once.

'We have a lot of performers in proximity to each other and wind players can't play with masks on. What we're doing right now is we're planning for several different scenarios,” he added. The other option is to do smaller group performances and hold something like chamber concerts in place of a full orchestra.

Currently the SEISO still is planning to do their outdoor Summer Blast concert on July 11 in Burlington. McConnell said the orchestra plans to make a final decision on that performance by July 1.

'That one is a little easier because outdoor events ... We'll still definitely have some musicians that won't be able to take part because they're higher risk or concerned,” the conductor added.

As for the concerts that were planned for earlier in the year but canceled, McConnell said the SEISO is looking to potentially make them up over the summer with a reduced rehearsal and performance schedule.

Currently, McConnell still is planning the next season of performances under the assumption that things will be back to normal.

'We're going to go ahead and then make adjustments as required. We're probably going to have to use a lot of substitute players,” he said.

The 2020-2021 season is slated to be a continuation of the previous season and will continue to feature the works of female composers in honor of the 100 year anniversary of the passing of the 19th amendment. Because of the untimely end of the current season, McConnell plans to reincorporate pieces that were not performed this season into the following one.

'The key for us is being flexible and being able to change our plans and keep audiences and musicians as safe as we can. Our mission is allowing performers that live in our region to play and giving audiences a good listening opportunities. We're going to pursue that one way or another, to whatever extent is possible,” he added.