The Portland Opera has announced that its performances of “Bajazet” at the New Mark Theatre have been canceled due to precautions taken against the spread of COVID-19.

The performances were slated for March 20-28, 2020. The cancelation was made in compliance with a mandate issued by Oregon State Governor Kate Brown.

This was to be the U.S. professional company debut of the Vivaldi opera, which was to feature Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen as Tamerlano, Avery Amereau as Irene, Kathleen Kim as Idapse, John Marzano as Andronico, all in their company debuts.

“This decision pulls deeply on the heartstrings for the artists, musicians, and production team of ‘Bajazet’—who have collaborated over the past weeks and months to create a truly beautiful and groundbreaking production,” said a statement by Andrea Tichy, the director of Marketing and Communications with the company. “We are all saddened by this situation, though we understand the significance of prioritizing health and safety in our community.”

The company’s next scheduled production is “Pagliacci,” starting on June 5, 2020.