Carroll College and the Helena Symphony made the decision to cancel this summer’s annual Intrepid Credit Union Symphony Under the Stars scheduled for July 18th at Carroll College. While Montana and Helena are very fortunate to be doing well in terms of the health crisis, there are several other considerations. The financial crisis is significant as well, and the $120,000 event could be difficult for many of the annual supporters of the event to support the event this year. In addition, over 18,000 people have attended the Intrepid Credit Union Symphony Under the Stars every third Saturday of July for the past 16 years, including visitors from nearly two dozen states and thousands from throughout Montana.
“While music is and will be essential for our emotional, spiritual, and psychological healing, we must be mindful of the tens of thousands of Americans who have lost their lives because of this crisis, and therefore this would not be an appropriate time to celebrate,” explains Music Director Allan R. Scott. “The Intrepid Credit Union Symphony Under the Stars is a celebration of Helena, our community, the beauty of Montana, and a time to really have a party atmosphere. This is what makes this particular concert so unique and nationally-noted.”
“The health of our community, our patrons, our visitors, our staffs, and the musicians is critically important,” says Carroll College President Dr. John Cech. “Carroll is a place that inspires others and this event will remain an incredible inspiration for our community and our city once it is the right time to celebrate.”
“This is the responsible thing to do for the 18,000 plus people who attend from all over the country,” states Symphony President Patrick Keim. “We owe it to our patrons, our community, and our musicians to do the right thing.”
“We do not want to limit the people who attend this free event,” explains Project Manager Scott Kall. “It is important that the spirit of this event remains, and it makes sense to wait until next summer.”
“Music is needed more than ever and it will be essential to our healing,” explains Music Director Allan R. Scott. “Music defines who we are and who we strive to be, and the Helena Symphony exists for this very reason – to bring the hearts and minds of the people in our community together through music. The Helena Symphony exists for our community, because of our community, and we look forward to being with everyone again in concert soon.” The principal musicians of the Helena Symphony Orchestra have been offering daily mini concerts to continue to bring music to our community. “Over 2,500 people every day are experiencing these wonderful musical moments,” explains Director of Artistic Planning Rehanna Olson. “We are absolutely committed to keeping music going for this community.”
Please follow the Symphony’s website (helenasymphony.org) or the Symphony’s Facebook page for up to date information, or contact the Symphony at 406.442.1860.