KW Symphony Association looking to elect new board of directors in revival attempt

The KW Symphony Association may make a comeback as the musicians start the first stages of a new plan.

They want to bring the orchestra back to the local community and are drafting a proposal to the association’s creditors to make that happen.

A member of the player’s committee — the group leading the initiative — spoke with CityNews 570 and confirmed that the members are now in the process of electing a new board of directors.

“It’s fantastic that we have a path forward, we’re incredibly excited about that and we have been working very hard to make this happen, very hard,” Katherine Robertson said.

After 78 seasons, the KW Symphony Association filed for bankruptcy on Sept. 21, 2023, and all operations ceased, including the resignation of the board of directors at the time.

On the GoFundMe page, set up by the musicians of the KW Symphony, they say they have been working with multiple organizations to help find a path forward for the association. This includes the Symphonic Services Division of the Canadian Federation of Musicians, the Central Ontario Musicians Association, BDO and the KW Symphony Foundation.

They are being advised that a proposal to satisfy creditors can be made and would let them continue to operate as the KW Symphony Association if it is accepted. In order to file the proposal, they must have a board of directors.

“For us, if the organization were to survive that would be the best path forward,” Robertson said. “We were devasted back in September about the bankruptcy but were delighted that there is this potential path forward for the organization and that we may be able to have an orchestra back in this community. We feel it is a vital part of the Kitchener-Waterloo Region.”

The KW Symphony Association is a corporation of the orchestra, which is the entity that filed for bankruptcy. Since then, the musicians have been working to facilitate a path forward.

They said the donations made to their GoFundMe page have “been instrumental in providing this path forward as well as in supporting our musicians throughout this difficult time.”

The last update on that page was from March 4, when they announced a new website that supports the KW Symphony and that they are working with union leaders to find a way forward.