Ludwig van Toronto

THE SCOOP | Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Files For Bankruptcy

The Conrad Centre for the Performing Arts (Photo courtesy of KWS)
The Conrad Centre for the Performing Arts (Photo courtesy of KWS)

The Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony has filed for bankruptcy, as announced at the end of the day on September 21. The Board of Directors responded in a statement.

“We are absolutely devastated about this outcome,” said Rachel Smith-Spencer, Chair of the Board of Directors. “In the last three days, we have appealed to all of our major stakeholders and have exhausted all available avenues to secure the $2M required immediately to continue operations.”

Fundraising

The musicians of the KWS have already banded together online, and initiated a GoFundMe to support the future of classical music in the region.

The K-W Symphony Foundation is a separate organization, independent of the orchestra itself. It’s still in operation as the body responsible for managing donations that have come to the foundation via long-term investments accumulated over many years.

The bright spot in the situation is that the Foundation can still play a role in supporting classical music performance in the Waterloo Region going forward.

Bankruptcy proceedings are being managed by BDO Canada Limited.

To read more from Norman Lebrecht, subscribe to Slippedisc.com.

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