NEW YORK - In a blow to the performing arts world, the Metropolitan Opera on Wednesday announced it will be canceling its entire season.  

Back in June, The Met announced that it would cancel its fall season and reopen this December 31. 

Now the Met Opera, the nation's largest performing arts organization, says it will remain closed until next September. 

The Met says with hundreds of performers, musicians, crew and other staff required to put on an opera, it is unable to mount any kind of performance while adhering to social distancing guidelines. 

When the Met announced it would cancel its fall season, within a few weeks all the other major performing arts organizations in the city followed suit. 

It's possible this too will be the first in a series of announcements adding to the devastation for the city's live entertainment industry.

When the Met does reopen next year, it will present a new wok by Terence Blanchard - that will be the first opera composed by an African American to be performed at the Met.