It is with enormous sadness that Symposium 2020 Ltd, in conjunction with the New Zealand Choral Federation and the International Federation for Choral Music, announces that the 12th World Symposium on Choral Music (WSCM2020), due to take place in Auckland, New Zealand from 11 to 18 July, is to be cancelled.
WSCM2020 Artistic Director John Rosser says, “We have all witnessed the massive impact the spread of COVID-19 is having on current and upcoming events across the world. There is no guarantee that this situation will have changed markedly by July.
“The Symposium was to bring many of the best choirs and practitioners on the planet into New Zealand for a feast of concerts and other events before a large international audience. However, it has become clear that all the elements that made it such an exciting prospect for our country also put it most at risk. After exhaustive examination of alternatives and consideration of risks, we have elected to cancel WSCM2020 now, in order to provide certainty for people who will be most affected,” Rosser says.
Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) General Manager Destination, Steve Armitage said ATEED supported the decision.
“While we fully understand that some people will be disappointed, the uncertainty of the situation has left the organisers with little choice. We look forward to Auckland hosting some of the world’s most talented singers in the future,” Armitage said.
Rosser says, “We are deeply sorry that all those who had planned to come to Auckland for this wonderful event will not now be able to enjoy everything we had prepared. All registrations and concert tickets will be refunded, but delegates and ticket buyers are asked to approach this process with patience as our team works through many enquiries.”