Kitchener Waterloo Symphony

The Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony (KWS) is a Canadian orchestra based in the twin cities of Kitchener and Waterloo, Ontario. Its home venue is Centre In The Square in Kitchener, Ontario. Music Directors and Principal Conductors have included Raffi Armenian (1971–1993), Chosei Komatsu (1993–1999), Martin Fischer-Dieskau (2001–2003) and Edwin Outwater (2007–present). The orchestra's current Assistant Conductor is Daniel Bartholemew-Poyser.

The Canadian Chamber Ensemble (CCE) is a former ensemble of musicians from the KWS. It consisted mainly of the principal musicians of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony and included flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, two horns, two trumpets, trombone, tuba, percussion, two violins, viola, cello and bass. The ensemble toured throughout Canada as well as the United States Europe, and South America. The CCE was founded by conductor Raffi Armenian and was the first major Canadian ensemble to perform in Eastern Europe after the fall of the Berlin wall.

The orchestra comprises 52 professional musicians under full-time contract. KWS performs close to 90 performances during a 38-week season for a combined concert audience of over 90,000. The orchestra is regularly heard across Canada on CBC Radio Two. CBC Records produced fourteen recordings of the KWS and the Canadian Chamber Ensemble (CCE) with acclaimed soloists. The 2002 CCE release, Chants d’Auvergne, includes soprano Karin Gauvin and was nominated for a Juno Award. A KWS recording with duo pianists Anagnoson and Kinton was praised by Toronto's Globe and Mail for the "precision accompaniments" of the orchestra.

The KWS owes part of its growth and national profile to the work of Raffi Armenian, KWS Music Director from 1971 to 1993, and the most recent Canadian conductor to be appointed to the position. Maestro Armenian, who now holds the title of Music Director Laureate, was also instrumental in the building of the Symphony's home, Centre In The Square. The Raffi Armenian Theatre, located within CITS, is known as one of Canada's finest acoustic performance spaces and provides an ideal venue for broadcast and recording.

The KWS supports the activities of the KWS Youth Orchestra Program, which involves four distinct ensembles. Its musicians, ranging in age from 8 to 24, number over 100.

In order to remain a musical resource to its community, the KWS specifically designed many education and community outreach activities to reach people of all ages and abilities.

The KWS has completed four tours, two in Ontario and two in Atlantic Canada.

In early October 2006, the symphony announced it would be forced to declare bankruptcy on October 31 unless it was able to raise another C$2.5 million to deal with an ongoing financial crisis, due to declining audiences and reduced funding. It launched a "Save our Symphony" campaign in order to raise the funds. Having raised $2.3 million as of October 30, the symphony announced it would be able to continue operations.

Edwin Outwater began his term as Music Director in 2007. His innovative programming has earned him international acclaim, in particular for his Intersections series. With a goal of reinventing the orchestral experience, Outwater and the KWS have collaborated with artists from composers Mason Bates, Gabriela Lena Frank, Nicole Lizeé and Nico Muhly, to authors Daniel Handler and Daniel Levitin and rock musicians Dan Deacon and Richard Reed Parry. In February 2014 it was announced that Outwater's contract would be extended to 2017.

Discography

Oktoberfest Operetta: Strauss - Lehár - Kálmán. M Boucher soprano, Dubois tenor, Armenian conductor. 1984. CBC SM-5045

'Viens, Gentille Dame' Romantic Arias for Lyric Tenor. DuBois tenor, Pedrotti bar, Armenian conductor. 1987. CBC SM-5077

Mahler Kindertotenlieder; Rückert Lieder; Songs of a Wayfarer. Robbin mezzo, Armenian conductor. 1989. CBC SMCD-5098

A Night in Venice, Joanne Kolomyjec and Mark DuBois. 1994. CBC SM 5000. SMCD 5126

Canadian Trumpet Concerti, works by Hetu, Forsyth, Nimmons, Guy Few, James Thompson, Dan Warren trumpet, Armenian conductor. 1994. CBC SM 5000. SMCD 5130

Brahms: Serenades, Armenian conductor. 1995. CBC SM 5000. SMCD 5145

Memories of Poland, Fialkowska, Armenian conductor, et al. 1995. CBC SM 5000. SMCD 5140

Russian Serenade, Beaver, Komatsu conductor. 2001. CBC SM 5000. SMCD 5159

Members of the orchestra also appear on Christianity's Prayer of Peace with Walter Scholtes conductor, and the Victor Martens Singers (1982, Canadian Mosaic WW-338); and Aria - Une selection de Radio-Canada. 1997. CBC SM 5000. SMCD 97