Washington Performing Arts (WPA) announced Monday that it decided to stream the concerts scheduled for its new season online due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Titled “Home Delivery Plus,” the new online series consists of performances and companion experiences. It is an extension of the Home Delivery online programming launched on the WPA website earlier in June.
Starting in early 2021, WPA will be streaming concerts of musicians from various genres, including cellist Alisa Weilerstein; tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain; pianist Sir András Schiff; mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges; Sean Jones and Brinae Ali in a music-and-dance showcase; singer Veronica Swift; and an all-star trio of pianist Evgeny Kissin, violinist Joshua Bell, and cellist Steven Isserlis.
There will also be a tribute to “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin, featuring pianist/vocalist Damien Sneed and singer Karen Clark Sheard.
ANNOUNCING: Join us in 2021 for an innovative series of online performances, streamed in high A/V quality from premier venues in D.C. to your favorite screen—Washington Performing Arts Home Delivery Plus. Read more and check out what else is coming up: https://t.co/DVkF2haGAG pic.twitter.com/aWSVOvfDlt
— Washington Performing Arts (@WashPerformArts) June 15, 2020
“In a time of enormous upheaval, it has been essential for us to affirm our mission as strongly as ever,” said Jenny Bilfield, President and CEO of WPA.
“We have invited a truly dynamic cohort of creative artists and thinkers to partner with us and engage with our audience. We are all exploring new terrain, both through our performances and educational programs. Our goal has always been to provide a platform where artists can do their best, bravest work, and our plans for Home Delivery Plus amplify that commitment.”
The performances will be streamed from prominent venues across the Washington, DC area. The streaming will be live or from newly recorded performances.
“Prompted by this time of coronavirus, the series is nevertheless designed with the digital future of the performing arts in mind—as a complement to (not a replacement for) traditional live, in-person performance,” WPA said in a statement.