The Windsor Symphony Orchestra has narrowed its search for a new music director to four finalists, each one conducting concerts in Windsor next season as part of the selection process.
Finalists Announced
On Wednesday, June 17, 2026, at the Capitol Theatre, the Windsor Symphony Orchestra (WSO) unveiled the names of the final four candidates in its music director search. Kyle Kootstra, board chair of the WSO, expressed enthusiasm: “We are thrilled to have four exciting, expert and engaging candidates in the final stage of our music director search. The interest in this role is a clear reflection of the WSO’s reputation as a professional, progressive orchestra.”
More than 120 applicants expressed interest in the position. A search committee representing various stakeholder groups initially shortlisted 13 candidates before narrowing the field to four through interviews and board approval.
Selection Process
Each finalist will conduct two concerts during the 2026-27 season and meet with musicians, staff, donors, patrons, board members and community representatives while in Windsor. Deborah Severs, chair of the music director search committee, described the process as transparent and thorough. “Everyone will have a chance to see each candidate conduct and to provide feedback through surveys,” she said.
Successor to Robert Franz
The successful candidate will succeed longtime music director Robert Franz, who had been the WSO maestro since 2013. Franz died unexpectedly last September at the age of 57 after a four-year battle with cancer.
The Finalists
The four finalists are Andrew Crust, Benoit Gauthier, Cosette Justo Valdes and Carolyn Watson. Crust is in his fourth season as music director for the Vermont Symphony Orchestra and has guest conducted orchestras across Canada. He has led diverse concerts, commissioned new works, and collaborated with world-class soloists, according to a WSO news release. Gauthier, a Canadian conductor, received the prestigious Jean-Marie Beaudet Award in Orchestral Conducting from the Canada Council for the Arts in 2024. He was named one of CBC’s “30 Classical Musicians Under 30 to Watch” in 2025. Cuban-born conductor Valdes serves as artistic and music director of the Vancouver Island Symphony. She also served as resident conductor of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra from 2019 to 2025. Watson is principal guest conductor of the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra and music director of the La Porte County Symphony Orchestra in Indiana. The Australian native has been in the U.S. since 2013, leading performances with Amarillo Opera, Austin Symphony and Detroit Symphony.
The WSO expects the search process to take a full season to complete.
