Submitted Photo The 2020 Bach & Beyond Baroque Music Festival, led by Maestro Grant Cooper and scheduled for June 12-14, is one of the latest events to be cancelled at the 1891 Fredonia Opera House Performing Arts Center. It will not be rescheduled for this year. Rather, the entire program planned for what would have been the 25th Festival will become the program for 2021. It will be held on June 11-13, 2021.

The 1891 Fredonia Opera House Performing Arts Center announced today the most recent event cancellations due to the COVID-19 restrictions.

The planned 2020 Bach & Beyond Baroque Music Festival, scheduled for June 12-14 has been cancelled. It will not be rescheduled for this year. Rather, the entire program planned for what would have been the 25th Festival will become the program for 2021. It will be held on June 11-13, 2021.

Art & Architecture On Screen presentations of Dinosaurs on June 4 and Lucian Freud – A Self Portrait on June 25 have been cancelled. These events will not be rescheduled at this time.

The Bolshoi Ballet Live presentation of Swan Lake, which already had been rescheduled once for June 20, also has been cancelled. It will not be rescheduled.

Anyone possessing tickets for any of these events may contact the Opera House Box Office at 716-679-1891 to discuss refund options. During this time of COVID-19 restrictions, the Box Office is only staffed on Fridays, 1-5 p.m.

“We do not make these decisions lightly,” notes Opera House Executive Director Rick Davis. “For the Bach Festival, we had extensive conversations with Maestro Grant Cooper, and gave much thought to various scenarios which may have enabled us to present the Festival. But even if event restrictions are lifted by June (which frankly doesn’t seem likely at this point), in the interest of keeping our patrons and musicians safe, this seemed to be the most logical solution.”

Opera House staff will continue to work throughout this closure and will be available by phone 716-679-0891 (Administration … leave a message, if no answer) and 716-679-1891 (Box Office on Friday afternoons). You also can keep abreast of news and announcements by visiting the Opera House web site, and following it on Facebook and Twitter.

The 1891 Fredonia Opera House is a member-supported not-for-profit organization located in Village Hall in downtown Fredonia. A complete schedule of Opera House events is available at www.fredopera.org.