San Diego Symphony cancels remainder of its spring season because of coronavirus pandemic

The San Diego Symphony has canceled the remainder of its 2019-20 season because of coronavirus-related concerns.

The announcement comes just 11 days after the symphony announced its upcoming 2020-21 season. Altogether, 14 concerts that were scheduled to take place between this weekend and May 30 have been canceled and two have been postponed. The full list of those concerts appears below.

The first two performances on that list — Friday and Saturday’s “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1” film screenings, with live orchestral accompaniment, at Copley Symphony Hall — have been rescheduled. They will now take place Sept. 4 and 5 at The Shell, the symphony’s new, $42 million, year-round outdoor concert venue, which is scheduled to open July 10.

The cancellation of the rest of the 2019-20 indoor season was made with “the health and well-being of patrons, musicians, and the Symphony family” in mind, according to a statement issued by the orchestra Wednesday afternoon.

It follows the March 12 announcement that the symphony had canceled all of its remaining March concerts because of the coronavirus pandemic. The orchestra subsequently canceled its concerts for the first half of April as well.

The loss of revenue from the more than two months of canceled concerts prompted symphony CEO Martha Gilmer to make an impassioned appeal to ticket-holders, which she did in a written statement Wednesday and in a video posted on YouTube.

“Now more than ever, we need the support of our patrons. I respectfully ask that ticket-holders consider donating the value of their ticket back to the San Diego Symphony,” Gilmer said.

“Their tax-deductible donation today means that the next time they are able to join us at Copley Symphony Hall for a concert, the orchestra will be here to share the joy of live music with them once more, as a healthy, vibrant and financially secure organization.”

Ticket-holders for the canceled concerts have several options. These include: donating the value of their tickets to the symphony; exchanging their tickets for one of the upcoming 2020-21 indoor season concerts; putting their tickets on account for future use; or requesting a refund.

Here is the list of all of the April and May concerts at Copley Symphony Hall that were canceled or postponed on Wednesday:

April 17 & 18: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1” (postponed until Sept. 4 and 5 at The Shell)

April 25: Jazz at the Jacobs presents: “Coltrane X 2: Giant Steps + Blue Train” in concert

April 26: “Gold Rush: An American Adventure”

May 2: “Casablanca” in concert

May 8, 9 and 10: Bronfman Performs Brahms

May 16 & 17: “French Fantasies”: Debussy & Ravel

May 22, 23 & 24: “Beethoven Symphony No. 9

May 30: Jazz at the Jacobs presents Arturo O’Farrill and The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

The following San Diego Symphony events have also been canceled:

April 25: “Music Connects,” at Foothills United Methodist Church in La Mesa

May 12: Bronfman Plays Schumann, at The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center in La Jolla