2024 Festival Weather Updates

Thursday, August 8 5:00pm Update:

Dear Vivace Community,

Thank you for your patience the last few days as we navigated challenges relating to Tropical Storm Debby.

On Friday, St. James Episcopal Church and First Baptist Church will reopen.

The Wilson Center remains closed on Friday. While this may be frustrating news, the Wilson Center is part of Cape Fear Community College, and many staff members and students associated with opening their campus would be commuting from neighboring counties that have experienced catastrophic flooding and road closures. The Wilson Center is a wonderful Vivace partner, and we understand and support their decision to ensure the safety of their staff and students.

Here’s what this all means for Vivace:

  1. Practice facilities will reopen Friday at St. James and First Baptist. The Vivace staff will distribute an updated practice plan to ensure everyone has equitable access to practice facilities on Friday.
  2. Alex Kobrin’s recital on Friday evening will take place at St. James Episcopal Church.
  3. The participant showcase scheduled for 1pm on Friday at St. James will continue as scheduled.
  4. We anticipate the Wilson Center reopening on Saturday.

Please continue to exercise caution as the rain will continue throughout Thursday and into Friday. Thanks again for your understanding and patience with the storm.

Very best,

John Holloway
President
Vivace Music Foundation

Tuesday, August 6 10:00pm Update:

Dear Vivace Community,

Vivace continues to monitor the weather forecast and potential impact of Tropical Storm Debby on our activities. We are in touch with local government officials and representatives from the Red Cross and our partner institutions.

This email provides a handful of significant changes for the next two days of Vivace activities.  Some of these changes will certainly be disappointing at first glance, but also provide a special opportunity to listen to your colleagues, to observe numerous master classes, and to stay in the dry and energetic walls of the Ballast Hotel.

We have done our best to prioritize your experience despite these weather challenges. All master classes will still take place, and all participant showcases and faculty concerts will occur.

Please read this email thoroughly and feel free to be in touch with any member of our staff with questions.

  1. Unfortunately, Vivace’s practice facilities have closed on Wednesday, August 7 and Thursday, August 8 due to the storm. This includes First Baptist Church, the Wilson Center and St. James Episcopal Church.
  2. All scheduled master classes for Wednesday and Thursday will take place – but all will be in Hotel Ballast, and some are at a different time. Please consult our website at vivacemusicfoundation.org/playground  to find your rescheduled master class time and location.
  3. Thursday’s faculty concert at the Wilson Center will take place for the festival community only, and will be on the 2nd floor of Hotel Ballast (Cape Fear Ballroom), in the same room as the orientation.
  4. Participant showcase performances for Wednesday and Thursday have been changed.
    1. The showcase scheduled for Wednesday will take place at 3pm on Thursday on the 2nd floor of Hotel Ballast (Cape Fear Ballroom).
    2. The showcase scheduled for Thursday will take place at the same time (1pm) on Thursday on the 2nd floor of Hotel Ballast (Cape Fear Ballroom).
  5. The Vivace Staff will have a temporary office set-up in the lobby of hotel Ballast on Wednesday and Thursday to address any questions you may have.

At this point, we are optimistic that normal Vivace activities and schedules can resume on Friday.

While it is disappointing and challenging to be without practice facilities over the next two days, I encourage you to take full advantage of observing master classes by our esteemed faculty featuring your talented colleagues. Where else in the world could you spend a day in one building and completely immerse yourself in so much great music?

We’ll provide an updated weather report on Wednesday afternoon. Please continue to exercise extreme caution with the changing weather forecast.

Very best,
John Holloway
President
Vivace Music Foundation

Tuesday, August 6 Update:

Dear Vivace Community,

As you have likely experienced, the rains from the Tropical Storm have started to impact Wilmington. Vivace continues to be in touch with city leadership and experts in the tropical storm space to best prepare the festival community for any impact the storm may make on Wilmington. We continue to have great confidence that Vivace can continue to operate a safe and special festival experience for everyone.

Here are a few important informational items and updates:

  • Vivace has instituted a curfew for all participants on Tuesday, August 6th. You must be inside Hotel Ballast or your host family by 9:30pm. You may be in the common spaces of the hotel, but may not leave the hotel. Participants not abiding by the curfew will not perform in any more master classes at Vivace. This is a zero tolerance policy.
  • While the rain has started today, the largest impact will come Wednesday and Thursday. Weather patterns change frequently, it is best to stay alert and prepare for conditions to worsen rather than improve.
  • Beginning at 5pm on Tuesday, a Tornado Watch is in effect for Wilmington. This means that there is a chance of a tornado developing. Should a Tornado Warning occur, that means a tornado has developed. You should seek shelter immediately. General guidelines include going inside and getting to the lowest level and internal room of your home, avoiding windows. Do not take an elevator.
    • If a tornado warning occurs while you’re in Hotel Ballast, the hotel recommends you go to the hallway on your floor and wait there until the warning subsides.
    • If a tornado warning occurs while you’re in First Baptist Church or St. James, use the stairs to go to the lowest level and find an interior room with no windows. Stairways are also a safe space.
    • If you are with a host family, speak now with your host regarding their personal tornado warning protocol, but generally find an internal room without windows on the lowest level of the home.
    • Hotel Ballast has ordered extra food and is able to provide meals through their restaurant to the entire festival community.
  • If you have a car and are parking at the Ballast, please contact a member of the staff to discuss a better alternative to park your car. We do expect the Ballast lower parking lots to experience flooding.
  • Should the hotel lose power for any period of time, there is a backup generator that serves essential spaces in the hotel. They will also distribute flashlights at this time. If power is lost and you no longer have access to these email updates or our website, visit the lobby of the Ballast at any time for an update.
  • Remember to never drive or walk through flooded streets. Take extra precaution.

We will issue another update this evening regarding activities and potential schedule changes for Wednesday, August 7. Please continue to monitor your emails and our website for updates, and don’t hesitate to reach out to a member of our team with any questions. See the Vivace Playground

Warmly,

John Holloway
President
Vivace Music Foundation

Monday, August 5 Update:

Dear Vivace Community,

Thank you for a wonderful start to Vivace 2024!

Over the past 72 hours, Vivace has been closely monitoring developments regarding the potential Tropical Storm in the southeast United States. We remain in frequent contact with representatives of the Red Cross, the City of Wilmington, Hotel Ballast, and all of our partner organizations.

Wilmington is no stranger to storms like this one, having experienced numerous similar and stronger storms in the recent past. The city is well-equipped, prepared, and supportive, and we have complete confidence that we can continue to offer a safe, meaningful, and world-class experience for everyone.

As with all major storms, the forecast can quickly change. We are monitoring all developments and have worked through a handful of contingency plans to create the best experience for participants, faculty, staff, and concertgoers, regardless of any new storm predictions or behavior.

Currently, we are anticipating very heavy rains for a period of days. This rain may produce localized flooding for brief periods of time throughout the day along Water Street, outside Hotel Ballast. It is important to never walk or drive through standing water and to wait inside the hotel until the water subsides instead.

We have purchased rain ponchos for the entire festival community, and Vivace staff will be distributing these ponchos throughout the rest of the day and tomorrow. There may be changes to the practice schedule and potentially changes to venues as we move forward and learn more about the storm’s impact on Wilmington.

If necessary, one of the contingency plans includes having all festival master classes take place inside Hotel Ballast.

The festival will offer frequent updates here on our website and our staff will be in touch with schedule changes for all events via email. Please reach out to Vivace Program Director Polina Khatsko with any questions at polina.khatsko@vivacemusicfoundation.org.

The safety of our Vivace community is our number one priority.

All the best,

John Holloway
President
Vivace Music Foundation