BETHEL — Music without Borders, the international piano festival slated to return to Bethel in July for a 14th season on the Gould Academy campus, has been postponed until July 2021. Festival Artistic Director Tamara Poddubnaya reports that restrictions on international travel and other requirements for mitigation of the coronavirus pandemic make it impossible, this season, to produce what has become a summertime tradition in western Maine: intensive study by promising young pianists from three continents, who, each week throughout the month of July, present four or more free public performances of works from the classical piano repertoire.

Local residents, as well as many “summer people,” have welcomed Professor Poddubnaya, the festival students, and guest artists. Even though the live performances on campus won’t take place this July, Poddubnaya is already arranging programs of performances for on-line viewing to be presented by far flung festival alumni, as well as by one or two young pianists who had planned to make their first appearance in Bethel this summer. Beginning in July, readers may check the festival’s website www.musicwoborders.com for the latest news about Music without Borders alumni and the special presentations to be posted once or twice each week throughout July. All who had been planning to study and perform in Bethel this summer terribly regret not being able to make the journey and send their warmest regards to their many local fans and friends.