THUNDER BAY — The Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra (TBSO) has officially launched the next part of their search for its next artistic director, a two-year, community-driven search.
The process will spotlight nine finalists, each bringing their unique artistic vision and experience to Thunder Bay.
“We’ve had an interim artistic director for the past year and a half, and always knew this would lead to a broader search,” said Ryleigh Dupuis, TBSO’s executive director and general manager.
“This isn’t just about hiring a conductor, it’s about discovering what the community wants and needs from its artistic leadership.”
The chosen finalists will participate in a range of concerts, public events, and educational activities over the coming seasons.
Through this hands-on audition process, audience members are invited to play a meaningful role in shaping the orchestra’s future by attending performances, participating in pre-concert Q&As, and completing surveys after each candidate's visit.
“We really wanted to have an engaged search,” said Dupuis.
“Before each performance, we hold a pre-concert talk around 6:30 p.m., where the conductor shares their thoughts on the program. We’re turning that into more of a Q&A period, an open dialogue between the audience and the conductor.”
“They’re a really diverse and interesting group of people,” Dupuis added.
“At the heart of it, they’re all doing meaningful work with communities, not just in them.
The finalists include Evan Mitchell - the current TBSO music director, who previously led the Kingston Symphony for 10 seasons; Geneviève Leclair, an associate professor at Berklee College of Music; Alexander Prior, a British conductor and composer, who was appointed assistant conductor in Seattle at 17; Benoit Gauthier, the founder of Orchestre Symphonique de la Côte-Nord; Martin MacDonald, the recipient of both the Heinz Unger and Jean-Marie Beaudet Awards and an artistic partner at the Brott Music Festival; William Rowson, who is currently leading the Sudbury and Stratford Symphony Orchestras; Francisco Hernández Bolaños, an assistant conductor at the Windsor Symphony Orchestra; Trevor Wilson, the RBC resident conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra; and Jaelem Bhate, the music director of the Prince Edward Island Symphony Orchestra and the founder of Vancouver-based Symphony 21.
With more than 60 applicants, the selection committee narrowed the field to these nine standout finalists. Each will have the opportunity to conduct the orchestra during the 2025/26 and the 2026/27 seasons.
Dates for each finalist’s appearance will be announced next week as part of the newly released 2025/26 season calendar.
The TBSO encourages everyone to attend, engage, and lend their voice in selecting the next artistic director to lead Thunder Bay’s musical future.
