Canadian conductor Rosemary Thomson was abruptly dismissed as Music Direcror of trhe Okanagan Symphony Orchestra (British Columbia, Canada) after 16.5 years of service. « This was not an easy decision by the board, but one that was made after careful deliberation and consultation. The board has a fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of the organization, » said executive director Geraldine Parent.
In a statement, Thomson’s lawyer said: « The Okanagan Symphony Society has alleged they have cause for terminating Thomson’s contract. Thomson notes that these allegations relate primarily to a recent concert program performed by the Okanagan Symphony with guest artists representing Indigenous cultures and improvisatory traditions outside the OSO’s classical roots, and are without merit ». The statement continued: « Legal proceedings will be commenced.”
Previous positions included Assistant Conductor to Hans Graf and Chorus Master for the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Assistant Conductor to Richard Bradshaw at the Canadian Opera Company and Resident Conductor with the Winnipeg Symphony where she worked closely with Bramwell Tovey. Thomson has been active as a guest conductor and has led a number of Canadian orchestras. Operatically she has conducted with Opera Nuova (Edmonton), Highlands Opera (Haliburton,Ontario), Opera Garden (Aberdeen, Scotland) and UBC Opera.
