Bring the Band to You: Finding the Internet’s Best Virtual Concerts

As people all over the world strive to keep social distance and avoid large crowds, many live performances are being moved from their original venues to online streaming.  Attending these virtual performances is a terrific way to stay musically inspired, support the performing arts community, and make the most of extra time at home.  

First of all, a shout-out to the Lessonface teachers who were quick to make the leap to virtual performing!  Flute teacher Louna Dekker-Vargas live-streamed a classical flute concert yesterday afternoon.  She plans to make this a weekly event, which you can follow on her website, and all will be free and family-friendly.  Violin instructor Ludovica Burtone will perform in a virtual ‘Couch Concert’ Sunday March 22nd, 3pm EDT.  She’ll be playing Brazilian, Latin and Jazz tunes with guitarist Leandro Pelligrino, they will broadcast on Facebook and Instagram.  

The best way to stay up-to-date on your favorite artists is to follow them on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.  Odds are they have already given at least one virtual performance since social distancing became the norm. If you’re looking to branch out and discover new artists and genres during the shut-in, check out the following resources I’ve compiled.  

Orchestras and Ensembles Offering Virtual Concert Series. 

These organizations had performances scheduled before the coronavirus outbreak and decided to livestream them rather than cancel them.   

• The Washington Heights Orchestra is offering Sunday night broadcasts of live chamber music performances through April.  

• The United States Army Field Band will broadcast daily live performances on their YouTube Channel at 7pm EDT Fridays and Saturdays and 1pm EDT Sunday through Thursday. 

• The Bavarian Opera is hosting live online Monday concerts beginning March 23rd.  They’re also offering free access to select recent opera and ballet performances.

• 92Y is offering free live broadcasts of upcoming classical and chamber music performances March 24th, 26th, 29th, and possibly beyond.

• The Budapest Festival Orchestra is hosting a series called ‘Quarantine Soirée’, which features virtual chamber music concerts for at least a few more days.  

Ongoing Performance Calendars and Virtual Platforms. 

These websites feature continually updated schedules of music events streamed from all over the world.  Many are free, but some ask for a donation. 

• Gigs Guide lists up-to-date daily schedules of virtual performances by international artists across genres, streamed on various platforms.  The site is well-organized and easy to use.  

• The Social Distancing Festival compiles performing arts events of all genres (theater and dance in addition to music) and across many virtual platforms into one expansive calendar.  Any artist can submit their event for listing.  

• StageIt is an online venue where artists perform live, interactive shows for their fans.  It’s unique in that the shows are monetized and the artists get paid for their time.  All streaming takes place through StageIt’s platform, and shows are never archived.  

• Who Needs and Stay at Home Online both present clear, simple directories of upcoming virtual performances across various platforms and genres.  Any artist can submit their events.

• #YoMeQuedoEnCasa Festival features daily livestreams by Spanish performing artists.  Follow the hashtag on Instagram for the most up-to-date information.

• Vimeo lists upcoming live streamed music events, mostly in classical, folk, and world music genres.  Many are professional performances, but some are recitals and master classes. 

• Virtual Festival.  Live-streaming performances on facebook by artists in the Nashville area.

• Corona Concerts.  A facebook page for artists whose gigs needed a venue change after the outbreak.  

Special Offers: Extended Free Trials and Access to Archives. 

Many symphony orchestras and operas are extending their free trial periods or offering more expansive access to their archives to bring music to everyone’s homes.

• The Detroit Symphony Orchestra has made several seasons of orchestral and chamber music concerts available online.  

• The Berlin Philharmonic is offering thirty days of free online access to all concerts performed in its Digital Concert Hall.

• The Bavarian Symphony Orchestra is releasing one daily concert video from their archives.

• The Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra is extending the offerings of online viewing and have released numerous recent performances for public viewing. 

• The Metropolitan Opera is making available a nightly opera stream (one opera per day), which can be between 7:30pm and 3:30pm the following day.  They also offer a free 7-day trial for complete access to their archives.

• The Vienna Opera is broadcasting one previously-recorded opera and ballet daily and also offers thirty days of free access to their archives.

• The Paris Opera is making available one opera and one ballet per day on their website.

• Wigmore Hall has released past live-streamed chamber music events for on-demand viewing.

These last two aren’t orchestras or operas, but both offer online access to videos of classical music and opera performances.

• BroadwayHD is offering a 7-day free trial subscription that includes access to its collection of musicals and Broadway classics.

• Marquee TV offers online videos of ballet, opera, and contemporary dance performances.  They have extended their trial period to 30 days. 

Articles and Ongoing Lists 

Many articles have already been written about this same topic.  Some sites are continually updating their lists.

• NPR is keeping an ongoing list of upcoming live streaming music events.  They update it daily with new concerts, so check back frequently.

• Countable published an extensive list of virtual performances planned up through April 11th.  Genres range from rock and metal to classical and opera. 

• Sonic Distancing features a hand-picked list of the best upcoming streaming performances.

• Colorado Sound lists virtual concerts scheduled for this weekend and beyond. 

Teachers and Students

We’d love to hear about any virtual performances that you have coming up!  Please tell us about it in the comments below or in this forum post.