About the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony
Founded in 1945, the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony's original purpose was to accompany the Grand Philharmonic Choir in concert, and it has been an important part of the cultural life of Waterloo Region ever since. Its long, storied, and complex history has helped shape the identity of this region and contributed to the development of orchestral music in Canada.
Today, the Symphony is in a new phase of its history. We are building the organization anew, with a commitment to creating a successful and sustainable arts enterprise and ensuring that our orchestra continues to contribute meaningfully to the region we inhabit. As we look to the future, our aim is to reach, reflect, and engage the people of Waterloo Region while building an organization that is responsible, resilient, and sustainable for generations to come.
We're not hiring right now, but we'd love to hear from you. See our jobs page for future opportunities.
Our musicians
The full roster, by section and instrument, is on the orchestra page.
Board of Directors
- Bill Poole – Chair
- Paul Ross – Treasurer
- Ross Wells – Secretary
- Connie Deckert – Board Member
- Cheryl Ewing – Board Member
- Donald Harrison – Board Member
- Andrew Kugler – Board Member
- Joy Montgomery – Board Member
- David Proulx – Board Member
- Colin Sarkany – Board Member
- Barbara Smith – Board Member
KWS staff
- Jason Doell – Executive Director
- James Sommerville – Artistic Advisor
Artistic Operations
- Andrew Mellanby – Artistic Operations Manager
- Miriam Stewart-Kroeker – Orchestra Personnel Manager
- Meaghan McCracken – Orchestra Librarian
- Josh Brach – Artistic Operations Coordinator
Marketing & Development
- Katherine Ronzio – Communications Manager
- Misha Bedi – Marketing Coordinator
Learning & Community Engagement
- Ian Whitman – Learning and Community Engagement Coordinator
The Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Volunteer Committee
The KWSVC has been in existence since 1948 to support the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony in a variety of ways.
The Volunteer Committee is an unincorporated self-governing organization holding charitable status under the Canada Revenue Agency with responsibility for an investment fund dedicated to the support of youth orchestral musicians in in Waterloo Region and area through an annual scholarship program.
Over the course of the last twenty-five years the Volunteer Committee undertook large fund-raising projects to provide financial assistance to the Symphony such as the House and Garden Tour of Note and the Love of Music Marathon as well as card parties and the Showcase boutique that was open at KWS concerts at Centre in the Square. Members of the Volunteer Committee provided refreshments for musicians at dress rehearsals for many years and continues to provide hands-on support for Symphony staff by inserting flyers in concert programs, bundling subscription tickets and mailings and distributing promotional materials. Since 2023, members of the KWSVC served as the front-of-house team for concerts at the St. Matthews Centre and other venues.
The Committee welcomes new volunteers to help us to continue to contribute in a meaningful and enjoyable way to our Symphony in a variety of roles. Please let us know about your interest at volunteers@kwsymphony.com.