BILLINGS- While many are getting ready to head for back to school, it's back to performing for the Billings Symphony.
The symphony will be playing most concerts and performances in Lockwood High School's auditorium this season.
"We'll be the home of the symphony this year. They're going to break it down into smaller groups so that they can be socially distanced. They came in and were really impressed with what we've put in for our equipment and sound equipment and those type of things," Lockwood School District Superintendent Tobin Novasio said.
"Lockwood Performing Arts Center is ideal for the Billings Symphony. It's a new facility. Acoustically it's incredible," Billings Symphony Executive Director Ignacio Barrón Viela said.
"There's parking right out in front of the school. It's so easy to get here, and the seats are brand new and comfortable. We're only going to have about 200 people allowed per concert,"Billings Symphony Music Director Anne Harrigan said.
"It will allow us to have the technology to livestream performance for patrons that would not be comfortable attending in person. Technology to keep the artistic and operational elements of a concert in place," Barron Viela said.
"We've had this amazing task force committee all summer made up of doctors and musicians and we have the world's strictist protocol. Our stage is going to be cleaner than an operating room," Harrigan said.
"We're careful, and we're patient. Our community, our donors, our audience is holding with us. So, we took a step. And we know that we can do it safely," Barron Viela said.
They will do a test run Saturday at Lockwood High, which people can access via livestream, but their concert series starts Sept. 3 at the Billings Depot.
To subscribe to access to the livestreams, visit https://billingssymphony.org/
