Florida’s classical radio station WSMR is teaming up with The Florida Orchestra and the Sarasota Orchestra to broadcast twice weekly live recorded performances from Florida’s classical music ensembles. The exclusive broadcasts are just one way the station and its parent organization, WUSF Public Media, are reaching out to listeners in this unprecedented time as orchestras across the country are not in a position to hold live performances out of health concerns. “We know so many of our listeners look forward to these live, in-person performances,” said WUSF General Manager JoAnn Urofsky. “As much as possible we want to replicate that experience and bring something special to the listeners who truly love and appreciate classical music.”

These recordings are a mix of performances from this season and from the symphonies’ archives and will air through June 11. Listeners can also stream the concerts online at https://www.wsmr.org/. If listeners miss an on-air broadcast, they will have the option to listen on-demand at WSMR.org for one month after the airdate. WUSF has partnered with the orchestras for years on a variety of projects, including live simulcast of concerts, and special in-person performances to raise funds that support music on public broadcasting.

The cooperative project comes as local classical stations around the country are teaming up to keep live performances accessible to the public. For example, from March 23 to April 18, Boston’s WCRB is broadcasting encore performances every night Monday-Saturday from the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which can no longer perform in-person concerts due to the virus. As another example, Seattle’s Classical KING-FM broadcasted the Byrd Ensemble performing “Our Lady” after their in-person concert was cancelled.

In response to the challenges faced by performing arts organizations across the country, Americans for the Arts, the nation's leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education, compiled a list of 10 reasons to support the arts in 2020, writing: “The arts are fundamental to our humanity. They ennoble and inspire us—fostering creativity, goodness, and beauty. The arts bring us joy, help us express our values, and build bridges between cultures. The arts also are a fundamental component of a healthy community—strengthening them socially, educationally, and economically—benefits that persist even in difficult social and economic times.”

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