A Special Message from U.S. Classic Guitar President William Jenks

A Special Message from U.S. Classic Guitar President William Jenks

A Special Message from U.S. Classic Guitar President William Jenks

I hope all of you are staying safe and healthy during this unprecedented historic time. We must all pull together to fight this horrible pandemic which is attacking us all at a physical, emotional, economical, and psychological level. We will get through this and these four points came to mind to help us through this time:

  1. We can stop the spread of the virus by practicing good hygiene, by honoring our government and public health official orders for social distancing and quarantining, and by wearing protective gear when required such as masks.
  2. We can take care of ourselves and others by continuing to exercise, do things that make us happy and lift our spirit such as playing the guitar, stay away from self-destructive behaviors, and most of all be kind to others and help those in need whenever we can.
  3. While this is effecting many of us financially, we can take advantage of the programs that are out there for individuals and business provided by the federal government, local government, and private sectors. U.S. Classic Guitar has applied for some of these programs to help support us through this time and our applications are in progress.
  4. We should realize that this will pass and we should not lose sight of our hopes and dreams.

The arts matter and the show must go on. Because of your continued patronage and support, U.S. Classic Guitar has created a unique and special experience for our audience and students through the presentation of world-class artists live in concert in inspiring and beautiful venues. Also, we have provided an opportunity for aspiring music students and guitarists to learn from the best artists in the world in master classes, lectures, and private lessons. This important vision and mission of U.S. Classic Guitar has positively impacted our community and will continue to the regions of Portland, Los Angeles, Hawaii and beyond. Thank you for your patience during this difficult time and for your continued patronage.   

Due to the extended stay at home order for the states of California, Oregon, and Hawaii, which will very likely be in effect through the end of May, we have made the decision to postpone the Angel Romero and Nina Kotova concerts scheduled for May 15 in Portland and May 17 in Los Angeles.  As of now, our plan is to move all the concerts that were postponed this spring to this summer beginning in late June with Grammy Award Winner Jason Vieaux in Los Angeles and the remaining rescheduled concerts will  continue through August and possibly September.  Stay tuned for the rescheduled dates of the 2019-2020 season this summer and the announcement of the exciting upcoming 2020-2021 series beginning next fall. New dates will be contingent on orders and conditions of local governments. All plans are subject to change as new developments and recommendations for resuming business and events arise.

As with all concerts that are being rescheduled during this pandemic, we are providing the following options for you if you bought individual tickets:

  1. Hold on to your tickets and they will be valid for the new rescheduled date for the same artist.
  2. Exchange your ticket for another performance once the new schedule has been posted.
  3. Donate the value of your ticket and receive an acknowledgement letter for your tax deductible donation.

For those that bought season tickets, we will be satisfying the value of your tickets through the rescheduled concert dates this season.

We are not offering refunds at this time because we have made a financial commitment to reschedule the artists rather than cancel and secure the venues for their rescheduled performances. Issuing refunds could jeopardize the continuation of the series. Thank you for your understanding.

When we resume our concerts again, your safety will be our first priority and we will strictly follow local, state, and federal government guidelines. We will take whatever measures necessary to achieve that, such as potentially reducing our audience capacity at concerts to allow for social distancing, exploring the idea of outdoor concerts as weather permits, provide a clean sanitary environment for our audience, and ask anyone to not attend a concert if they are sick and ask them to request a voucher for a future performance.  As things develop and change through this time, we will make necessary adjustments in our plans for your safety.

Here are some ways you can help support our organization through this time.

  1. Hold on to your tickets and show up to the concerts when we resume our programming.
  2. Purchase tickets once the new dates are confirmed and the tickets go on sale.
  3. Make a tax deductible donation to U.S. Classic Guitar which is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
  4. Donate your ticket as a tax deductible donation.
  5. Consider taking online guitar lessons with myself or one of the other U.S. Classic Guitar instructors.
  6. Purchase a guitar from U.S. Classic Guitar which helps support our organization.

Sincerely,

William Jenks