Henry Wong, the longtime impresario at An die Musik on Charles Street, in the heart of downtown Baltimore, has kept musicians performing and music lovers entertained throughout the pandemic with his series, An die Musik Live. Sunday night, there was another live-stream, featuring the Phil Ravita Jazz Group. Impressed with his commitment to arranging these sessions, I asked Henry a few questions about his efforts.
How many live stream recitals has An die Musik had since the start of the pandemic? Phil Ravita’s show on Sunday was No. 428.
Has the public been supportive? Have you received any donations? The public has been supportive. For the first year, we had overwhelming online participation and donation rates. That has shifted over time, and now we typically see more people in the concert hall than on the live stream.
Have the musicians taken part for exposure or because they were paid? How does that work exactly? I’d say both. They still have fewer venues in which to perform than pre-pandemic. And they still have bills to pay. It all boils down to the more audience members we have watching, the more the musician can make.
What have been the most successful streams — the most popular artists in terms of views? Cyrus Chestnut; Robin Bullock; New Year’s Eve 2020 with Hot Club of Baltimore; David Murray’s Baltimore Band; Coniece Washington; Danny Knicely with Tom Mitchell; John Previti Aimee Curl; Ronn McFarlane; David Murray and Lafayette Gilchrist; Letitia Vansant & Laura Wortman; Dyana Neal “American Songbook & Stage” with Robert Hitz; Jazz Piano Protege Jose Andre; John Lamkin II 75th Birthday Show; Boister & Annie Watts; Lafayette Gilchrist Trio ; Warren Wolf
When was the most popular period for the streams? April 2020 – April 2021 was the most popular, with a spike in December 2020 & January 2021
Your venue is open, right? The venue has been open since March 2021, operating under Baltimore City’s health regulations of 50% capacity and masking at all times. We also require proof of vaccination to enter. … We are in the process of setting up more live streaming sessions! Please feel free to send in donations if you enjoy the live streaming. Thank you so much for supporting these musicians.
Dan Rodricks 