Kitchener–Waterloo Symphony facts for kids

The Kitchener–Waterloo Symphony (KWS) was a group of professional musicians who played orchestral music. They were based in the twin cities of Kitchener and Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Their main performance hall was Centre In The Square in Kitchener. The KWS had 52 full-time musicians and performed nearly 90 concerts each year. Many people across Canada could hear their music on CBC Radio Two. Sadly, in September 2023, the symphony had to stop all its concerts and activities, like the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Youth Orchestra, because of money problems. They later declared bankruptcy.

History of the Symphony

The Kitchener–Waterloo Symphony started in 1945. It was founded by Glenn Kruspe, who was also its first music director until 1960. He created the orchestra to play with the Grand Philharmonic Choir.

Frederick Pohl took over as music director from 1960 to 1970. During his time, the KWS Youth Orchestra was created in 1966. This gave young musicians a chance to play and learn.

Raffi Armenian became the music director in 1971. He stayed for a long time, until 1993. During his leadership, another group called the Canadian Chamber Ensemble (CCE) was formed. This group was made up of some of the best musicians from the KWS. The CCE traveled and performed in Canada, the United States, Europe, and South America. The KWS's current home, Centre In The Square, was also built while Raffi Armenian was director. He is now known as the music director laureate.

After Raffi Armenian, Chosei Komatsu led the orchestra from 1993 to 1999. Then, Martin Fischer-Dieskau was the music director from 2001 to 2003.

In October 2006, the KWS faced big money problems. They needed to raise C$2.5 million to keep going. They started a "Save our Symphony" campaign. Thanks to the community's help, they raised enough money to continue performing.

Edwin Outwater became the music director in 2007. He brought new and exciting programs to the symphony. These included working with different kinds of artists, like composers, authors, and even rock musicians. He stayed until 2017. In 2017, Andrei Feher was chosen as the next music director, starting in the 2018–2019 season.

However, on September 19, 2023, just before their new season was about to begin, the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony suddenly canceled all their shows. Two days later, on September 21, 2023, it was announced that the symphony had declared bankruptcy. This meant they had to stop all their operations. The symphony said that costs had gone up a lot after the global pandemic, and they needed $2 million to continue. The musicians were not told about the cancellation or the bankruptcy beforehand, which left many of them without jobs or severance pay.

Music Directors

Here are the people who have led the Kitchener–Waterloo Symphony as music director:

• Glenn Kruspe (1945–1960)
• Frederick Pohl (1960–1970)
• Raffi Armenian (1971–1993)
• Chosei Komatsu (1993–1999)
• Martin Fischer-Dieskau (2001–2003)
• Edwin Outwater (2007–2017)
• Andrei Feher (2018–2023)

Recordings (Discography)

The KWS and the Canadian Chamber Ensemble (CCE) made many recordings with CBC Records. They worked with talented soloists. One of their recordings, Chants d’Auvergne, was even nominated for a Juno Award in 2002.

Here are some of their recordings:

• 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

See also

• List of symphony orchestras
• Canadian classical music