Vancouver, BC (June 5, 2019) — Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) Board Chair, Fred Withers, announced today that current Vancouver Symphony Society and VSO School of Music Society President Kelly Tweeddale is taking a new role as Executive Director of the San Francisco Ballet effective September 3, 2019. Click here to read the San Francisco Ballet Association’s announcement.
Kelly Tweeddale has served the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and VSO School of Music as President since November of 2015. Tweeddale has presided over a period of unprecedented growth and stability, playing integral roles in the recruitment of new Music Director, Otto Tausk; the ongoing growth and success of the thriving VSO School of Music; the Society’ current $30 million endowment campaign; the creation of the VSO’s Women’s Voices initiative and Indigenous Council; the re-institution of an annual free outdoor concert in Vancouver; significant growth in ticket sales, fundraising, and government support; and unprecedented fiscal stability having achieved surplus budgets in each of her four fiscal years. Please refer to Kelly Tweeddale’s full bio at the bottom of this release.
The announcement comes as the VSO’s highly successful 100th Anniversary Season draws to a close. Highlights of the Season have included the commencement of Maestro Otto Tausk in the role of VSO Music Director, the first ever free Day of Music celebrating the VSO’s 100th birthday, performances by major guest artists including Itzhak Perlman, Renée Fleming, Yefim Bronfman, Bernadette Peters and more, and an Afterworks concert series that is connecting a new audience to the VSO.
VSO patrons and community members will have the opportunity to talk with Tweeddale in person at the upcoming Season Finale concerts June 7th and 8th, and Centennial Celebration Gala performance on June 11th and at concerts throughout the VSO’s Summer Season.
Commenting on the announcement, Vancouver Symphony Society Board Chair Fred Withers said, “For the past four seasons Kelly Tweeddale has provided inspirational and strong leadership to the VSO and VSO School of Music and together with our Music Directors, Bramwell Tovey (to June 30, 2018) and Otto Tausk (current), our Orchestra, our staff and our Board of Directors continued to build the VSO into Western Canada’s leading performing arts organization. Under Kelly’s leadership and with the support of our community we are achieving our purpose of enriching and transforming lives through music. We congratulate Kelly on this prestigious new role. As we reach the completion of our milestone 100th Anniversary Season at the VSO, we are excited about our new programming and community engagement initiatives, our many education programs and opportunity to perform for our many communities. The Board has begun the search process for a successor. We head into our 101st season with a roster of top tier guest artists including Daniil Trifonov and Anne-Sophie Mutter, a growing audience base, and a sound business model to support the organization’s continued growth.”
VSO Music Director Maestro Otto Tausk remarked, “Kelly Tweeddale has made a huge impact in moving the orchestra forward. She has been such a great inspiration for the organization and me personally. Kelly has assembled a very strong senior management team and because of her vision and leadership the VSO and VSO School of Music can look forward to the future with great confidence. We celebrate her years with the VSO and we are proud Kelly is moving on to one of the great arts organizations in the world.”
Tweeddale said, “It has been a distinct privilege to work with our dedicated musicians, staff, and volunteers. Together we have increased our service to the community and will reach a record attendance of over 280,000 people this season. We have planned and are celebrating our centennial season with collaborative and open events, such as Day of Music and Symphony at Sunset Beach. Over the last three and a half years, we embarked on two Canadian tours – one provincial, one national – while honouring Maestro Tovey and his tenure and we introduced Music Director Otto Tausk and his joyful approach to music making. The orchestra has never sounded better. Community programs such as “Women’s Voices” and the innovative VSO School of Music are thriving, and the Society’s financial condition is strong and stable. This is an orchestra that I am incredibly proud to have been a part of and I know both its ambition and connections with the community will continue to position it as a leader in its class. Vancouver deserves no less.”
The VSO is approaching the end of its 100th Anniversary Season and has announced the program for its 101st Season. For full 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 Season concert listings, please click here.
ABOUT KELLY TWEEDDALE
Kelly Tweeddale became President of the Vancouver Symphony and VSO School of Music in November 2015 to lead Canada’s third largest orchestra during a time of innovation and growth that has included planning for the organization’s centennial celebration, the selection of a new music director, and expansion of its performance season. Since her arrival, VSO has experienced tremendous growth with earned revenues increasing by 35%, contributed revenues by 28%, and endowment assets growing by 72%. Tweeddale has also led the VSO School of Music, one of the only North American purpose-built music schools to leverage the mentorship opportunities available with a professional orchestra. Tweeddale’s 30-year career has had one focal point: connecting people and places through the performing arts.
Prior to joining the VSO, she was the Executive Director of Seattle Opera, where she was responsible for transforming its performance facility, McCaw Hall, into one of the finest opera halls in America and planning for its new administrative and rehearsal facility: Seattle Opera at the Center. She helped lead the growth of Seattle Opera in partnership with opera impresario Speight Jenkins into being not only one of the preeminent Wagner companies in North America, but a company with one of the highest per capita opera attendance in the United States.
Tweeddale has held leadership positions with The Cleveland Orchestra and the Seattle Symphony during times of great audience growth and organizational transformation and has served as an adjunct professor for Seattle University’s graduate program for Arts Leadership. She was one of the founding board members of the Tessitura Network, and has a long history of enhancing audience engagement in the arts through technology and practice.
ABOUT THE VANCOUVER SYMPHONY
The Juno and Grammy-award winning Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is the largest arts organization in Western Canada and third largest orchestra in Canada. We present passionate, high-quality performances of classical, popular and culturally diverse music, creating meaningful engagement with audiences of all ages and backgrounds wherever we perform and developing and delivering inspirational education and community programs.
The 2018-2019 Season celebrates the VSO’s 100th Anniversary season with a host of special guest artists, free public events and special Day of Music on January 26th, the 100th birthday of the VSO. It also marks the inaugural season of Maestro Otto Tausk as Music Director of the VSO.
CONTACT
For media inquires, or interview requests please contact Neil Middleton at (604) 313-0738 (neil@vancouversymphony.ca) or Sarah Yu at (778) 239-7676 (sarahyu@vancouversymphony.ca).
