Ron Spiegelman directs the Lake Placid Sinfonietta in July 2018 at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts. (Enterprise photo — Griffin Kelly)

LAKE PLACID — The Lake Placid Sinfonietta Board of Directors on Monday decided to postpone the 2020 performance season, “See the Music,” to the summer of 2021.

“Given the likelihood that public health recommendations on social distancing will extend through the summer, we have made the difficult decision to postpone our planned 2020 summer season until 2021,” Sinfonietta Board of Directors President Robin Baxter said in a press release. “We cannot in good conscience plan for audiences to assemble, and for health and safety reasons cannot ask our performing musicians to work shoulder to shoulder on stage as they must in order to create their art. We have also considered that it may not be responsible to encourage the 20-plus musician households of the orchestra to move to the region for the summer.”

This cancellation will mark only the second time since 1917 that the ensemble that is now the Lake Placid Sinfonietta has not performed. The other “quiet” summer was 1945, amid World War II, when the private Lake Placid Club was used as a rest hospital.

Newly appointed Music Director Stuart Malina expressed sadness at canceling the season.

“After the months of planning what would have been my first season leading this marvelous group of musicians, it is heartbreaking to cancel,” Malina said in a release. “I am sad for the players, for myself and for our loyal supporters. Having said that, the greater good and the health and well-being of our community must be the driving force in our decision making. We will be back making beautiful music and entertaining the music lovers of the Adirondacks next year.”

The Lake Placid Sinfonietta’s 2021 season is scheduled to run from July 7 through Aug. 15. Updates on the exact schedule and programming will be posted as soon as possible at www.lakeplacidsinfonietta.org.