CONCERTS RESUME AT THE LISZT ACADEMY AMID PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES

Dear Audience,

Following the forced break caused by the coronavirus epidemic, concert life at the Liszt Academy will resume on August 18th.

We find that there is a lot of uncertainty among members of the audience and the artists regarding the conditions under which a public concert can be organised. At the moment, there are no restrictive measures in force concerning events organised in concert halls with rows of chairs, which are considered closed spaces. This means that our concerts could be held with a full house. However, based on responses received in our recent survey, we have decided that our audience feels the need for security measures to be put in place in order to slow the spread of a possible infection.

The safety of our audience and staff is a priority for us, so we plan to introduce a number of precautionary measures for the August 18 - September 15 period, regarding which we ask and appreciate the cooperative support of our partners and our audience.

-  At concerts organised by the Liszt Academy, we will limit the number of visitors simultaneously present in the building to 500 persons, and we recommend this to our partners as well.

- We have made it mandatory for our employees working in the public areas of the building to wear a protective mask that covers both the face and the nose. It is mandatory for members of the audience to wear a protective mask in public areas and recommended in the concert halls.

- We kindly ask you to arrive a little earlier than usual. We will open the concert halls 30 minutes before the start of the concert, thus reducing the number of people waiting in the lobby. Please try to keep a safe physical distance to the extent that this is possible.

- We will not apply separate seating rules in the halls, but members of the audience are allowed to change their seats before the start of the performance, depending on the number of vacant seats.

- The public areas of the Liszt Academy have mechanical ventilation, which ensures a regular, highly efficient supply of fresh air in these areas. We continuously monitor the cleanliness of our ventilation systems. Before the start of concerts, as well as during intermissions, we set the mechanical ventilation to a higher level to ensure a fast and complete exchange of air.

- We have increased the number of general cleaning personnel in the building, and we pay increased attention to disinfecting auditorium chairs, handles and washrooms before each concert.

- Contactless hand sanitizer dispensers have been installed at the entrances of the concert halls, in the washrooms, in the buffets and in many other parts of public areas; we recommend that members of the audience and staff use them regularly.

- Until further notice, our ticket office operates with limited opening hours, except for days when performances are held. On concert days, it operates with the usual opening hours, i.e. from 10.00 am until the intermission of the last concert. The ticket office can be accessed during the day through the entrance in the windbreak, and before and during concerts through the usual entrance to the main lobby. Only one customer can be in the ticket office at any one time, customers are requested to keep a distance of 1.5 metres.

- The locker room corridor will be closed; no one will be allowed to congratulate the artists.

- We will develop the rules for the post September 15 period by taking into account the experience of the concerts to be held from the end of August and any new official measures. We will provide regular information about any new measures to be introduced.

Please visit the website or the social media sites of the Liszt Academy for the latest and most up-to-date information.