Musicians blindsided by K-W Symphony’s cancellation of upcoming season

More than 50 musicians are out of work after the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony abruptly cancelled its upcoming season.

More than 50 musicians have been left in a lurch after the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony abruptly cancelled its upcoming season the day before they were set to return to work.

The symphony has cited financial challenges as the reason for the decision and says it won’t be refunding tickets. In a statement, it says ticket holders will be eligible for a tax receipt.

The 78-year-old symphony is the third largest in Ontario.

Violinist Jung Tsai says she and her colleagues found out via an email from management on Saturday night. Their season was supposed to start on Sunday.

“It was quite shocking to us,” said Tsai, who’s been with the symphony since 2017.

Tsai says for most of her colleagues, the symphony is their primary source of income.

They’ve also passed up other opportunities because they had already been offered contracts for the upcoming season.