Tracy Kraus during a Worcester Chamber Music Society performance: “We’re important to them. They want us to survive.”
With almost two dozen concerts a year—in large venues like Mechanics Hall, and in smaller venues like cafés and care facilities—an extensive community strings program, and a free Music on Main concert for more than a thousand music lovers, the Worcester Chamber Music Society typically maintains an hectic calendar. But 2020 caused a shift in activities.
After canceling all its spring programs, WCMS created an @Home series of free concerts that was sent out to followers during the summer. Eventually, for the fall, a series of six live-stream concerts was produced. But the shift from in-person to online took time.
“I owed it to everyone to be cautious when we had to cancel concerts in the spring,” says Tracy Kraus, co-founder, director and flutist in the ensemble. “So we did our research. We found a fantastic audio engineer. Our ticket server had developed a live-stream platform, and that made it seamless.
“It made a big difference,” she says of the research. “The audience had a good experience because the video and audio were high quality. Our patrons deserve more than holding up an iPhone and pressing record.
“People were genuinely surprised that they enjoyed it so much,” she says. “We were able to give them something they really craved.”
Kraus, who lives in Harvard, estimates that WCMS’s live programs usually attract about 175 people. So the audience retention for WCMS’s live-stream series—“around 125 for each one, and 225 for our annual Baroque program,” she says—serves as evidence of the group’s staying power.
WCMS sells tickets to its live-streams, but Kraus points out “we knew that people would understand the value, and we needed the revenue. If there is a silver lining to not performing live, it’s that we had new people attend. We are reaching people who cannot be out-and-about.
“But live-streaming is stressful, and expensive. Pre-pandemic, we wouldn’t be able to afford it. But these are the only ways to reach a population that wants to attend.”
Some aspects of these virtual presentations will persist after live concerts begin again, Kraus asserts.
“There will be a hybrid,” she says, “and I think that once we can perform, our attendance will increase. Rohan Gregory (violinist and core member of WCMS) pointed out that immediately after the 1918 flu we had the Roaring ’20s, when nightlife exploded because people had been cooped up.
“But it’s not going to happen right away,” she says, “and we should all plan for an in-person and virtual model.”
WCMS is one of the luckier music organizations when it comes to financial security.
“Our budget has always been conservative,” she says. “We went into the pandemic year in really good shape, and we were able to pivot quickly. A PPP loan helped us meet payroll.”
But the hiatus isn’t over yet. A few live performances remain on the 2021 WCMS calendar, but those events depend on community health and venue availability. However long the hiatus lasts, Kraus remains confident in the group’s future.
“We’re going to survive, for a number of reasons,” she says. “From the get-go we made a commitment to the Worcester community. It’s a diverse cross-section, young and old. We’ve had a neighborhood string program for nine years. The kids benefit from WCMS, and we benefit from being connected to that community.
“Our patrons have been extraordinarily generous—both in the spring, when we had to cancel, and then again this fall. We are important to them. They want us to survive.
“We’re nimble,” she says. “Local foundations and grantors want us to survive. Our financial model is diverse—ticket sales are just a small percentage. I think that blend will help us.”
Keith Powers covers music and the arts for Gannett New England, Opera News and Leonore Overture. Follow @PowersKeith; email to keithmichaelpowers@gmail.com.