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AFTER THE last three concerts of Monterey Sym- phony's 2019-2020 season were canceled due to the spread of coronavirus — and the revenue lost as a result put the symphony in a financial bind — the nonprofit music group last week received help from the federal government and local donors to pay its musicians for lost wages.

The symphony also announced plans to move its head- quarters from Ryan Ranch to downtown Carmel — a short stroll from where it started nearly three-quarters of a cen- tury ago.

The symphony received a paycheck protection loan for just over $200,000 from the Small Business Administra- tion to compensate its musicians for lost wages after con- certs in April and May were canceled, executive director Nicola Reilly reported. The May 16-17 concert at Sunset Center was set to be the grand finale of the season. "We're so happy to be able to compensate our musicians during a time when all their work is being canceled," Reilly told The Pine Cone.

The money will also help compensate the symphony's administrative staff.

Besides receiving a loan from the feds, the sympho- ny was awarded a $25,000 grant from the Covid-19 relief fund at the Community Foundation for Monterey County. And that's not all — to supplement the loan and the grant, the symphony has created a Musicians' Relief Fund, and is encouraging people to donate.

"We are working with donors to take care of our musicians in a substantial way," Reilly explained. "We're all looking at an unknown future. We want to make sure we take care of those who are the heart and soul of our organization — they've experienced an immense amount of lost work."

 Back where it all began

Seventy-four years after it was founded over tea in the Carmel Woods home of singer Grace Howden, the sym- phony is returning to the town.

As soon as coronavirus restrictions are relaxed — and things like hauling office furniture can be done again — the symphony will move its office to Hampton Court at the corner of Seventh and San Carlos. Symphony officials had been searching for a new office for more than a year, and now, everything is all packed up.

"I'm sitting in an empty room right now," Reilly told The Pine Cone. "We found out about a year ago that we would need new an office because our building is being converted to low-income housing."

Reilly said the new location is ideal, in part because it's just two blocks from Sunset Center, where the symphony performs. The symphony once had its office in a Sunset Center cottage.

"We looked at a lot of different places, but we wanted to be close to Sunset Center," she added. "We're really ex- cited to find the space — it's perfect."

As for its uncertain future, the symphony is planning to address next season's schedule in the coming weeks.

The organization is set to make a decision about next season sometime around June 1, pending more informa- tion from county and state representatives.