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The Windsor Symphony Orchestra is in a Season of Becoming. As the WSO enters its 79th year, it will also introduce the Windsor Essex audience to the four finalists for the role of Music Director.
We are excited to have attracted these wonderful candidates. The next stage of the search will include each candidate being in Windsor to conduct two concerts of the 2026-2027 season. During their time in Windsor, candidates will also be interviewed by members of the search committee, meet with musicians, staff, donors and members of our youth community. Audience members will be asked to provide their feedback through post-concert surveys.
Hiring a new Music Director is a major step in the WSO realizing its artistic vision. We invite the entire community to join us this season and to be a part of the exciting transformation upon which the WSO is embarking.
We encourage people to subscribe to WSO concerts and have also introduced a Final Four Ticket Package that includes tickets to concerts conducted by Music Director finalists. Subscriptions can purchased at the WSO Box Office, online at windsorsymphony.com or by phone 519-973-1238.
An award-winning conductor across Canada and the United States, Andrew Crust couples an expansive musical flexibility with an approachable stage style that makes symphonic music immediate and inclusive. In Canada, his guest conducting includes the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic, l’Orchestre Métropolitain, and the symphony orchestras of Vancouver, Nova Scotia, Winnipeg, Laval, Vancouver Island, and Saskatoon.
CONCERTS
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3
November 14 & 15, 2026
Classical Prodigies
February 18 & 19, 2027
Canadian conductor Benoît Gauthier is recognized for the intensity, depth, and communicative power of his interpretations. In 2024, he received the prestigious Jean-Marie Beaudet Award in Orchestral Conducting from the Canada Council for the Arts, and in 2025 he was named one of CBC’s “30 Classical Musicians Under 30 to Watch.” He recently made his New York debut at David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center with the Curtis Institute Symphony Orchestra.
CONCERTS
A Night in Vienna
February 13 & 14, 2027
Symphonie Fantastique
May 8 & 9, 2027
Cuban-born conductor Cosette Justo Valdés is a rising international star who most recently served as the Artistic and Music Director of the Vancouver Island Symphony (British Columbia). Through her innovative programming with Vancouver, she ignites new passion in her audiences, inspiring them to engage personally not only with living, contemporary music but also with rarely heard historical works.
CONCERTS
Opening Weekend: From Paris to Madrid
September 26 & 27, 2026
From Dawn to Dusk
April 22 & 23, 2027
Carolyn Watson is Principal Guest Conductor of the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra and Music Director of the La Porte County Symphony Orchestra in Indiana. Originally from Australia, she has been based in the United States since 2013, she was a Fellow of the American Academy of Conducting at the Aspen Music Festival and holds a PhD in Performance (Conducting).
CONCERTS
Global Dances
March 11 & 12, 2027
The Music of Harry Potter
April 17 & 18, 2027
Want to experience the style & energy of each Music Director Finalist?
Purchase the Music Director Ticket Package and save up to 20% on tickets. This package includes:
Available for Section B seating.
The Music Director Search Committee has been meeting regularly since fall 2025. The group reviewed over 120 applications from candidates across the world. After an initial short list of applications, the committee then conducted thorough interviews on Zoom which were recorded and then viewed by the entire committee.
From those interviews, the committee then decided on four candidates to move along to the next phase of the search.
This has been a huge undertaking, and we could not have come this far without the dedication and many volunteer hours that our committee has given to this process.
This process has been thorough. It is, perhaps, the single most important decision that our board, orchestra and administration can make. The Music Director carries out the artistic vision of the orchestra and, essentially, is why the WSO exists.
A special thank you to all our season sponsors and we salute our long-time, dedicated series sponsors: Bill and Rochelle Tepperman, the Toldo Foundation and the Morris and Beverly Baker Foundation.
