The Toledo Symphony Orchestra (TSO) announced that, at the request of Ms. Rhiannon Giddens, all who attend her upcoming appearances in Toledo must present a negative PCR test for COVID-19. This applies to events on September 12 and 13 at the Toledo Museum of Art Peristyle. The negative PCR test result must be date-stamped within 72 hours of the Toledo events.
Audience members who are fully vaccinated may waive out of the PCR test requirement by showing proof of vaccination. Acceptable proof includes an individual’s physical vaccination card, a photo of the completed card, or digital vaccination record. A corresponding photo ID will be required for individuals showing vaccination information. Regardless of PCR test result or vaccination status, all attendees will be required to wear a mask in alignment with Toledo Museum of Art policy.
These requirements will be in effect for two events. The first is An Evening with Rhiannon Giddens, a performance with Ms. Giddens and the Toledo Symphony on Sunday, September 12 at 7PM. In the second, Ms. Giddens will present the University of Toledo’s Edward Shapiro Distinguished Lecture at 7PM on Monday, September 13.
Both events are at the Toledo Museum of Art’s Peristyle Theater. Doors for both events will open at 6PM and guests are encouraged to arrive early to show their negative PCR result or proof of vaccination.
Grammy Award and 2017 MacArthur “Genius” winner Rhiannon Giddens joins the Toledo Symphony for a evening of jazz, blues, country, Gospel, and Celtic music from her critically-acclaimed albums.
The Edward Shapiro Distinguished Lecture featuring Ms. Giddens is free and open to the public. No reservations are required. General admission seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. The Shapiro event was originally scheduled to take place at Doermann Theatre on the University of Toledo campus. It will now be held at the Toledo Museum of Art Peristyle.
“At this time, these protocols are only in place for the two events with Rhiannon Giddens, and the request comes from Ms. Giddens herself,” says Vanessa Gardner, Director of Marketing and Communications for the Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts. “With the Delta variant in our region, we are reminded that COVID is still with us. Ms. Giddens makes this requirement for the safety of her team and all who are able to join us for the remarkable events.” Ms. Gardner adds, “We continue to monitor health and safety recommendations from local and state officials and will work in partnership with the Toledo Museum of Art to ensure the safety and enjoyment of our guests at all performances.”
Ms. Giddens’s performance with the Toledo Symphony will also be livestreamed via TAPA Streaming at stream.artstoledo.com. Pay-per-view rates start at $19.99 for a single event or all-access streaming passes are available for $14.99 per month or $149.99 annually. (The Edward Shapiro Distinguished Lecture will not be livestreamed.)
An Evening with Rhiannon Giddens is generously presented by the Dana Charitable Foundation in partnership with the University of Toledo College of Arts and Letters. Media sponsor is Toledo.com.
HOW TO ATTEND: An Evening with Rhiannon Giddens
When: Sunday, September 12, 2021, 7PM
Where: Peristyle Theater, 2445 Monroe St.
Cost: Single tickets $30-$60
More info: Visit toledosymphony.com, stop by the TAPA Box Office located 1838 Parkwood Avenue, or call 419.246.8000, Monday-Friday, 9-5 PM
HOW TO ATTEND: Edward Shapiro Distinguished Lecture with Rhiannon Giddens
When: Monday, September 13, 2021, 7PM
Where: Peristyle Theater, 2445 Monroe St.
Cost: Free
More info: Visit https://www.utoledo.edu/al/shapiro-lecture/.
For more information about the Toledo Symphony’s health and safety policies related to COVID-19 or An Evening with Rhiannon Giddens, please visit toledosymphony.com or contact Vanessa Gardner, Director of Marketing & Communications for the Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts at vgardner@artstoledo.com.
For more information about the Edward Shapiro Distinguished Lecture Series event with Rhiannon Giddens, please contact Angela Riddel, Promotions Specialist for the University of Toledo College of Arts and Letters at angela.riddel@utoledo.edu or Christine Billau, Media Relations Specialist for the University of Toledo at Christine.billau@utoledo.edu.
ABOUT TOLEDO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The Toledo Symphony Orchestra is a community-supported organization of professional musicians and teachers who deliver quality performance and music education for all.
Formed in 1943 as The Friends of Music and incorporated in 1951 as the Toledo Orchestra Association, Inc., the Toledo Symphony Orchestra (TSO) has grown from a core group of twenty-two part-time musicians to a regional orchestra that employs sixty-nine professional musicians who consider the Toledo Symphony their primary employer, as well as numerous extra players annually as repertoire demands.
On January 1, 2019, the Toledo Symphony and Toledo Ballet officially merged to form the Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA), a new non-profit organization dedicated to providing exceptional live music and dance performances and education for the region. This partnership promises to create new and invigorating programs, provide cost and revenue synergies in operations, and integrate the arts through shared educational missions.
The Toledo Symphony reaches more than 260,000 individuals annually through performances and education programs. The series concerts (Masterworks, Pops, Chamber, Mozart in the Afternoon, and Family Series) are the critical underpinning of the orchestra’s artistic mission and regularly draw people from 135 postal zip codes. Education programs, student performances, and community concerts are held in schools, neighborhood churches, performing arts centers, and community facilities throughout the region; many are offered at no charge or provided at a reduced fee to help expand participation.
ABOUT THE EDWARD SHAPIRO DISTINGUISHED LECTURE SERIES
The Edward Shapiro Distinguished Lecture Series is a free, public annual event known for its outstanding speakers. The series is presented by The University of Toledo’s College of Arts and Letters. The lecture is named in memory of Dr. Edward Shapiro, a UToledo alumnus and economics professor for 22 years in the College of Arts and Sciences. He retired in 1989 and left an endowment so the University could bring world-renowned speakers to Toledo. He donated more than $4 million to the college during his lifetime.
“Dr. Shapiro believed that bringing a speaker who possessed a good deal of public recognition as well as intellectual gravitas was a great way to bring the University and the city closer together,” Jon Richardson, chair of the Shapiro Selection Committee said. “We have had great success. The Shapiro Lecture is one of the most important intellectual events during the school year.”
Past Edward Shapiro Distinguished Lecture speakers include Zanny Minton Beddoes, Audra McDonald, Andrew Young and many others. Visit https://www.utoledo.edu/al/shapiro-lecture/ for more information.
