Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony announces return with new season, ‘Resurrection’

The Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony is ready for their encore as they announce their big return to performing. — The Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony is ready for their encore as they announce their big return to performing.

The organization was left in turmoil after the 2023/2024 season was abruptly cancelled. An email sent to patrons at the time cited financial challenges and claimed it was “simply not feasible to continue with our previously planned performances.” Soon after, the symphony filed for bankruptcy.

The decision kicked off months of uncertainty for fans and musicians alike.

Some people launched fundraisers to save the beloved arts institution, while other components of the symphony, like the youth orchestra, found new ways to keep the music going. Some musicians refused to fall silent and played more intimate concerts at St. Matthews Centre in Kitchener.

But a release on Tuesday announced the symphony was being revived with a 2025/2026 season.

“We cannot overstate our gratitude to the musicians of the KWS who have continued to perform at St. Matthews Centre this past season,” Bill Poole, chair of the KWS Board of Directors, said in the release. “But we are now ready for the KWS itself to return with a full season of performances. Our orchestra is back: strengthened in spirit, and profoundly grateful for the community that has stood by us.”

The new season is being called ‘Resurrection.’

Officials said the symphony will expand into new performance spaces, instead of only returning to their former home at the Centre in the Square.

More details about the upcoming season will be released at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.