Mere weeks into this new decade, the global sweep of the Coronavirus has changed all our lives. Amid the uncertainty it has brought, one thing is striking: our reliance on music to see us through.

We saw it almost from the start, as Italians in confinement sang opera to one another from their balconies. It’s significant too that, to ensure we wash our hands for long enough, we’ve all been urged to sing.

While regular performances have temporarily ceased, it’s remarkable how music – and the spirit of musicians – has marched on, undiminished. Faced with a sudden loss of work, it’s so humbling to see musicians resiliently pick themselves up and find imaginative new ways to share their talents and keep inspiring us.

And we’re just seeing the start of this. In the weeks to come they are sure to keep disarming and delighting us with their limitless creativity and generosity.

Of course this is nothing new. Music has always endured, comforting and nourishing people for centuries, whatever life has thrown their way. The RPS exists to champion this vital role that music plays in our lives. We are therefore dedicating a whole new area of our website, and our social media platforms, to saluting the ways that music and musicians can help us all through the extraordinary circumstances in which we find ourselves today.

We invite you to:

• keep pace each day with our favourite instances of musicians sharing their music in pop-up performances and musical feats online
• discover the intrepid musicians setting aside their instruments for now, lending their skills to help society in other ways
• watch some of our recent RPS talks in which great artists and unsung heroes share why they believe music matters to us all
• come treasure-hunting as we share ways you can still virtually enjoy concerts, operas and other musical jewels online
• delve into the past with us, as we account a moment in Britain's history when music kept spirits strong
• tell us what music, musicians and musical discoveries are keeping you strong right now

To this, we are also now pleased to add The RPS Conversation - a new series of conversations especially for classical music lovers, aiming to give a very human impression of how the pandemic is affecting the lives and work of classical music makers.