By Daniel Buckwalter

Like all of us, Wyatt True has time on his hands right now that he didn’t anticipate. Unlike many of us, True and his wife, Jannie Wei, don’t own a television, so they’re not as glued to the drama unfolding with the coronavirus as many others are.

It’s probably for the best.

Instead, True says he’s completing projects around the house, teaching violin online and watching his and Wei’s 16-month-old daughter, Lila, begin to walk. He also is making plans for the sixth subscription season of the Delgani String Quartet.

Because make no mistake: Delgani’s fifth season may have been cut in half because of the coronavirus and the now universal “Stay-in-Shelter” edict, but there will be a sixth season for the acclaimed Eugene-based quartet, and it will be to full houses again at the Christian Science Church in downtown Eugene.

“It’s going to be a cool season,” True says, who also is Delgani’s executive director.
Plans will be finalized soon, True hopes, with venues in Corvallis and at Portland State University to sort out. The subscription series will be sent out to the Delgani “family.”

Until the “Stay-in-Shelter” order is lifted, True and Wei — the violinists — and violist Kimberlee Uwate and cellist Eric Alterman can only wait and plan.

Delgani last performed in January. It was scheduled to perform again for a week-long run in Eugene and Portland starting March 15 (Soul of Brazil) with an appearance by Chicago-based and Brazilian-born guest artist Clarice Assad.

Then the bricks started falling, first for all gatherings with 250 or more people. then complete closures.

I remember it well because on March 13, my birthday, I phoned Mark Rockwood, Delgani’s ticket manager. The quartet was in rehearsal, he explained, and a formal decision would come later in the afternoon. His voice, however, indicated it would be postponed, at least.

Later in the day, it was.

“We still technically could have had it,” True says, noting that capacity at the Christian Science Church is shy of 250, but Delgani decided to side with caution.

“It was a wise decision,” True says, and Delgani received many thank-you notices from its patrons for the decision. The fourth and final concert of this season, Gesture and Journey, also was scratched.

Soul of Brazil is not lost, however. True says it will be scheduled for next season but not as part of the 2020-21 series. Those who bought tickets for the postponed concert may use them.

And Delgani still also wants to feature Assad, who “wrote a lot of music for that concert,” True says.

True emphasizes that the year-end subscription sales for next season is an important time of year for Delgani. The quartet doesn’t take this situation lightly.

“We actually run a deficit until the end of the season,” he says, with the upcoming season’s subscription sales making up the difference. “I hope they will help out for this fiscal year by buying subscriptions.”

One reason for this, True notes, is that live performances are to be absorbed, treasured and not taken for granted. True is skeptical of the lasting impact of social media platforms that musicians have flocked to during the coronavirus shutdown.

“Something about it will get old fast,” he predicts. “It kinda misses the point. It’s the whole experience of being at a concert.”

Especially a Delgani concert. I for one can’t wait for next season.

More about the Delgani String Quartet: delgani.org (also on Facebook and YouTube)