While regular concerts have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra has been keeping busy, offering daily content online under the banner of the TSO Daily Dose. Surviving the coronavirus crisis is proving incredibly challenging for orchestras around the country, with ticket revenue crashing as concerts are cancelled. So how is the TSO coping?

“No doubt about it, these are difficult times for orchestras and all performing arts companies but, while obviously disappointed that we’re not performing live concerts, we’re coping reasonably well at the TSO,” says the orchestra’s Content Manager and Special Projects Curator Robert Gibson, who is curating the TSO Daily Dose series. “We have reserves and many years of sound management behind us so that, together with assistance through the Federal Government’s JobKeeper scheme, we’re confident that we can ride this out for the foreseeable future. The mood remains positive and upbeat across the entire organisation.”

TSO Basses of the CaribbeanJames Menzies, Stuart Thomson, Matthew McGrath and Aurora Henrich record Basses of the Caribbean for TSO Daily Dose. Photo courtesy of Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra

The TSO launched the Daily Dose relatively early in the crisis, and has...