June 9: Richard Pittman's health and the future of BMV

A message from BMV Board President Richard Cornell
and Executive Director Robert Pape

Dear supporters and friends,

The past few months have proven to be among the most challenging in Boston Musica Viva’s decades of music-making. In addition to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has touched all of our lives, we are also sad to share news of a health setback suffered by our founder and music director, Richard Pittman.

In mid-March, Dick suffered a severe stroke. While he has started on the road to recovery (and has, thankfully, avoided exposure to coronavirus), his return to health will require a leave of absence for convalescence that is tough to define at this time. 

Due to these challenges, especially given the distinctly large role Dick has played in our programming and artistic leadership since our inception, we will not be announcing any future programming now. Instead, we are taking a step back to evaluate how we might best fulfill our mission of advocating for living composers and their music in this rapidly changing world. 

Inquiries for Boston Musica Viva and well-wishes for Dick are both welcome. As Dick and his family are focused on his recovery right now, messages for him are best sent to us at Boston Musica Viva. Please do not hesitate to reach out directly at 617-354-6910 or rpape@bmv.org.

Thank you for your support and understanding in these challenging times.

Sincerely,

Richard Cornell
President, Board of Directors

Robert Pape
Executive Director