Toledo Symphony Orchestra Continues Weekly Broadcasts of Past Performances

The Toledo Symphony Orchestra (TSO) and WGTE Public Media have begun weekly broadcasts of Toledo Symphony archival performances recorded at the Toledo Museum of Art's Peristyle Theater. The television program called WGTE Presents: TSO in HD airs on WGTE beginning Sunday, March 29, 2020 at 6 PM.

Formed in response to the cancellation of performances due to the coronavirus outbreak, it joins only a handful of television programs in the nation produced in partnership between a local public media station and an orchestra.

"It's been more than 100 years since our community's character has been tested as it is now with the coronavirus," says Marlon Kiser, President & CEO of WGTE Public Media. "I am proud that the Toledo Symphony Orchestra and WGTE Public Media have found creative and meaningful ways to come together and go beyond what comes easily or naturally to serve the community's highest aspirations."

"It was a difficult decision for us to make when we cancelled performances earlier this month," says Zak Vassar, President and CEO of the Toledo Symphony. "There were a lot of moving parts to consider in a relatively short timeframe as the crisis rapidly unfolded before us. In the end, the well-being all of our patrons, musicians, partners, staff, and volunteers superseded all."

"I applaud all of our partners and especially our friends at WGTE for making our inaugural livestream on March 13th possible," continues Vassar. "WGTE Presents: TSO in HD is a natural extension of that, and we are thrilled to work with WGTE to help us share the warmth and beauty of symphonic music with our community at a time when we all need it the most."

Eight broadcasts of WGTE Presents: TSO in HD will air on WGTE beginning on Sunday, March 29 at 6 PM. The programs will be curated by Toledo Symphony Music Director Alain Trudel and hosted by WGTE Radio Program Manager and Host Brad Cresswell. Programs will consist of complete performances from the archives and collections of pieces brought together in new programs.

"We want to give people the best performances from our vault and that means airing entire performances that hold a special place in our hearts and our memories as well as creating something new for our fans to experience," says Trudel.

Programs include:

March 29 - Trudel's Debut

April 5 - The Sea

April 12 - Handel's Messiah

April 19 - Great Women of Music

April 26 - Light Classics

May 3 - New American Classics

May 10 - The Nutcracker

May 17 - The Resurrection

"We're open to airing additional performances as we ride the ever-changing landscape of our world today," says Vassar.

"Our hope is that viewers' spirits will be lifted through these thrilling and magical performances," says Cresswell. "This collaboration speaks to the longtime partnership between the TSO and WGTE. In sharing this music, we are spreading the word that the arts can be a healing force in times of trouble. We are both honored to serve our community in this way."