Sacramento Region Performing Arts Alliance

THE SACRAMENTO PHILHARMONIC & OPERA: FOSTER COMMUNITY, INSPIRE CURIOSITY, ENRICH LIVES.

THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR, DESPITE OUR INABILITY TO PERFORM IN LIVE SETTINGS DUE TO COVID-19, WE REMAINED COMMITTED TO OFFERING OUR PATRONS, DONORS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS MUSICAL EXPERIENCES VIA DIGITAL PLATFORMS THAT THEY COULD ENJOY SAFELY FROM THEIR HOMES. IN THE FALL OF 2020, WE PROGRAMMED OUR FIRST EVER "CHAMBER MUSIC MASTERWORKS" DIGITAL SERIES, A FOUR-CONCERT SET WITH A RECITAL FEATURING OUR CONCERTMASTER; A TWO-WEEK BEETHOVEN FESTIVAL; AND A HOLIDAY BRASS CONCERT, ALL PROVIDED FOR FREE TO OUR DONORS AND SUBSCRIBERS AS A THANKS FOR THEIR SUPPORT. ALL THIS ACTIVITY FEATURED INTERVIEWS WITH OUR MUSICIANS AND GUEST ARTISTS, ALLOWING OUR PATRONS TO EXPERIENCE OUR WORK IN A MORE PERSONALIZED WAY. IN FEBRUARY 2021, WE PROGRAMMED A "ROMANCING THE OPERA" DIGITAL STREAM, ALLOWING THOSE THAT ENJOY OPERA THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR OPERATIC WORKS SAFELY. LASTLY, IN THE SPRING OF 2021, WE PROGRAMMED OUR "SPRING SOIRES" DIGITAL SERIES, FOUR MORE PERFORMANCES FEATURING THE MUSIC OF GRIEG, COPLAND, TCHAIKOVSKY, AND DEBUSSY, ALL RECORDED AT THE MONDAVI CENTER UNDER THE BATON OF STUART CHAFETZ. THIS ACTIVITY ALLOWED US TO STAY CONNECTED WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND MORE SUCCESSFULLY PAVE THE WAY FOR OUR TRIUMPHANT RETURN TO LIVE PERFORMANCES IN THE CONCERT HALL, CLASSROOMS, AND GATHERING SPACES ACROSS THE REGION.

IN ADDITION TO OUR DIGITALLY STREAMED CONCERTS, WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO PIVOT OUR LINK UP MUSIC EDUCATION PROGRAM TO A VIRTUAL MEDIUM. WITH LINK UP, OUR EDUCATION MANAGER CHARLA JEANNE LAWSON WAS ABLE TO ZOOM WITH OUR PARTNER SCHOOLTEACHERS TO LEAD PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS, TEACH THEM THE LINK UP CURRICULUM, AND GIVE THEM TOOLS TO NAVIGATE DISTANCE-LEARNING. THE TEACHERS THEN TAUGHT THE CURRICULUM TO THEIR STUDENTS DIGITALLY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND MS. LAWSON AND SP&O EDUCATION ASSISTANT SAMANTHA ROSAS WERE CONSISTENTLY AVAILABLE WHEN TEACHERS NEEDED THEIR ASSISTANCE WITH THEIR INSTRUCTION. THROUGH THE PROGRAM, WE OFFERED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT/STRATEGIES TO HELP TEACHERS WITH THEIR INSTRUCTION AND MUSIC EDUCATION SKILL DEVELOPMENT:HOSTED "OPEN HOUSES" WHERE TEACHERS COULD ASK QUESTIONS, LEARN ABOUT RESOURCES, AND HAVE OPEN-FORUM DISCUSSIONS ABOUT PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION.CREATED OUR "TEACHER SEMINAR SERIES," WHICH PROVIDED OUR REGION'S MUSIC AND ARTS TEACHERS WITH AN INTRODUCTION AND FOUNDATION IN SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL LEARNING.RE-DESIGNED THE LINK UP FINAL CONCERT DIGITALLY, SO THAT THE STUDENTS COULD STILL RECEIVE A FINAL CONCERT EXPERIENCE, PERFORM WHAT THEY LEARNED VIRTUALLY WITH A PRE-RECORDED SMALL GROUP OF SP&O MUSICIANS PLAYING, AND STAY SAFELY IN THEIR HOMES IN THE PROCESS.

TO FURTHER GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, WE PERFORMED A SERIES OF FREE, OUTDOOR POP-UP CONCERTS IN MAY 2021 THAT FAMILIES COULD SAFELY ACCESS AND LISTEN TO. OVER A TWO-DAY PERIOD CENTERED AROUND BIG DAY OF GIVING, WE PERFORMED IN OLD SACRAMENTO, DOCO, FAIRYTALE TOWN, FIZZ CHAMPAGNE AND BUBBLES BAR, AND ESKATON CARMICHAEL. THESE WERE OUR FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCES IN OVER A YEAR, AND ALL OF THEM WERE PROGRAMMED TO INSPIRE OUR CITY AND COMMUNITY WHO HAVE CONTINUED TO SUPPORT AND INVEST IN OUR WORK.