After a 10-year career with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony (KWS), conductor Edwin Outwater has announced he will be leaving the orchestra at the close of the 2016-17 season.
In a statement following a media release, Outwater said, “As an artist, it is always my responsibility to grow and evolve. It is for this reason that I am moving on to new musical adventures and responsibilities. I know my connection to this orchestra will last far into the future…”
After stepping down in the fall of 2017, Outwater will be named Music Director Laureate, a position currently held by Raffi Armenian. In turn, Armenian will be named the first ever KWS Music Director Emeritus.
Outwater will leave a lasting legacy on the KWS, which will include releasing the orchestra’s first recording in over 10 years. Titled From Here On Out on the Analekta label, it included critically acclaimed music by Nico Muhly, Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, and Arcade Fire’s Richard Reed Parry.
Known for his innovative and unusual programming, Outwater developed Hack the Orchestra, the world’s first orchestral hackathon, which took place at the Centre In The Square in Kitchener, mid-May 2015. He also collaborated with neuroscientist and author Daniel Levitin on the Beethoven and Your Brain Intersections Series concert. He developed the Quantum: Music at the Frontier of Science program in partnership with the University of Waterloo’s Institute for Quantum Computing.
During Outwater’s tenure, the KWS Orchestra has seen a dramatic increase in subscription and overall attendance by nearly 40%, and a rise in donations by over 60%.
“His charisma, along with his ability to engage with anyone and everyone about music has been an incredible asset to the KWS,” Board Chair Catherine Copp stated. “The KWS was fortunate to be able to keep Edwin for so many years, and we now understand that he needs to move forward to pursue his other work.”
According to Outwater, leaving the KWS will allow him the breadth to explore new projects, including his role as Director of Summer Concerts with the San Francisco Symphony, a new partnership with the BUTI Tanglewood Institute, Music Director of the Sierra Summer Festival in California and developing ongoing and innovative programs on the stages of other orchestras.
KWS Executive Director Andrew Bennett said, “The search process for Edwin’s successor will start right away. It will be a challenge to find someone who can follow Edwin, but his role in enhancing the status of the KWS nationally and wider afield makes that task easier.”
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