Health and Safety Policies and Planning Survey Report, September 2021

This short Your Quick Take survey offers a snapshot of vaccination, testing, and masking requirements that orchestras have in place for musicians, staff, and audiences for this fall. 202 U.S. adult and youth orchestras across a range of orchestra budget sizes participated in the survey, which was open from August 25—September 10, 2021.

Some top-line findings include:

• 82% of responding orchestras (excluding youth orchestras) reported either a mandatory vaccination policy or testing requirement for their musicians.
• 73% of responding orchestras have either a mandatory vaccination policy or testing requirement in place for their office staff.
• 41% of all responding orchestras, including youth orchestras, reported either a mandatory vaccination polity or testing requirement for their audiences.

View the report (PDF) for additional findings and data.

There are approximately 1,600 orchestras throughout the entire United States, all seeking opportunities to partner with their communities and engage their substantial workforce safely, as more and more return to live performances amidst the ongoing duration of the pandemic. It’s also important to note that COVID-19 safety protocols are heavily influenced by local and state mandates, as well as performance venue policies, all of which are highly variable and subject to change.

Contact knowledge@americanorchestras.org for further information.