Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony

05/29/2026

An evening of music and dance based on the TedTalk - Liquid Lead : Ballroom dance that breaks gender roles. Featuring dancers Trevor Copp and Jeff Fox and music by the KWS String Quartet.

Trevor and Jeff perform latin/ballroom dance while exchanging who is leading mid-dance to step away from the traditional ‘men lead, women follow’ while the KW Symphony musicians provide the soundtrack. The evening will begin with their Ted Talk live, with demonstrating throughout, followed by a performance and workshop so you can learn to Liquid Lead, too!

This event is a FREE event, but requires registration

📍 IV Loft at Four Fathers, 125 Guelph Ave, Cambridge
🕠 June 12 - Doors 7:00pm, Start time 7:30pm.

This events is for Everyone

For more information, or to reserve your spot, visit the Grand River Pride Festival Events Page, Link in Bio.

05/29/2026

🎶 We’re hiring! 🎶

The Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony is seeking a part-time Marketing Coordinator to join our team.

📍 Hybrid position
⏰ 15 hours/week
💵 $24/hour
📅 Start date: July 28, 2026
🌟 Potential for role growth

We’re looking for someone who is organized, creative, collaborative, and passionate about audience engagement, digital communications, and the arts.

Applications should include:
Cover letter
Resume
Two references

🗓 Deadline: Friday, June 26 at 12:00 PM (Noon)

Interviews begin the second week of July.
More info here: https://www.kwsymphony.com/jobs

05/28/2026

Last night our friends at the Centre In The Square announced their 2026-2027 Season, which includes FIVE Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony concerts: all four concerts in our Masterworks Series plus our Yuletide Pops!

Tickets are currently on sale to Centre In The Square Members only, but will go on sale to the public on June 8.

Masterworks Series:
Beauty & Power - Sept. 26, 2026
Solace - Jan. 23, 2027
Folk Dances - Feb. 13, 2027
The Journey Home - May 15, 2027

Pops Series:
Yuletide Pops - Dec. 19, 2026

More information about the other KW Symphony Season concerts will be announced on June 23!

05/20/2026

This past weekend, the music world lost Cris Derksen. Cris was a powerful artistic force, and we, like many communities, artists, and organizations across Canada, are mourning this profound loss. Some of us in the KWS were fortunate to call her a friend, but her creative energy and the example of her bold, brilliant life touched us all.

Beyond the awards and accolades, beyond her extraordinary body of work, Cris will be remembered for the person she was: generous, creative, and fearless.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to her wife, family, friends, collaborators, and all those grieving her loss. Her voice and spirit will continue to resonate far beyond this tragic moment.

05/16/2026

Thanks to St. Jacobs Mennonite Church for welcoming KWS musicians Allene and Rebecca to their Family Fun Fair last Saturday!

05/08/2026

Some of our KWS musicians will be at the Community Family Fun Fair tomorrow! 🎼

05/08/2026

Great rehearsal this morning at The St. Matthews Centre for The Power of Fate! Come to the last concert of the season tomorrow at 7:30pm, featuring KWS Concertmaster Bénédicte Lauzière and Guest Conductor Earl Lee Conductor 🎶

Get your tickets now at https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/the-power-of-fate ! Tickets can also be purchased at the door.

05/05/2026

Check out this interview with Earl Lee by Ludwig van Toronto!
You can see him conduct the KWS this Saturday for The Power of Fate! Get tickets now: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/the-power-of-fate

Conductor Earl Lee will lead the Royal Conservatory Orchestra in Toronto on May 1, the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony on May 9, and the Calgary Philharmonic on May 22 and 23.

05/05/2026

Looking forward to being back at The St. Matthews Centre this Saturday!

The Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony is back on Saturday May 9, closing out their spring season here at St. Matthew’s with The Power of Fate

This one has a really strong mix in the program:

Verdi’s Overture to La forza del destino
A brand new violin concerto by Scott Good (commissioned by KWS)
And Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 to close

It’s led by conductor Earl Lee, with Bénédicte Lauzière featured on violin.

If you’ve never been to a symphony before, this is a good one to start with — a mix of familiar, dramatic music and something completely new.

Saturday, May 9 @ 7:30 PM

More details + tickets:
https://www.stmatthewscentre.com/events

04/29/2026

Get to know our featured artist for The Power of Fate: Bénédicte Lauzière.

Described as “beautiful to watch and breathtaking to hear” by the Guelph Mercury, violinist Bénédicte Lauzière leads a prolific career on the Canadian stage. She is concertmaster of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, with which she regularly appears as soloist. Ms Lauzière is an avid chamber musician, her recent collaborations including Emanuel Ax, Mark Fewer, and members of the Penderecki String Quartet. As a recitalist, she enjoys a wonderful partnership with pianist Angela Park.

She has won numerous prizes and awards including the Prix d’Europe 2014, the Michael-Measures Award 2011, the Peter Mendell Prize 2010 as well as a grant for professional musicians from the Canada Council for the Arts. Ms Lauzière was a laureate of the Stulberg International String Competition in 2010 and won several first prizes at the Canadian Music Competition.

Learn more about Bénédicte Lauzière at: https://www.kwsymphony.com/artist-bios