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April 11, 2025 [Kamloops, Canada] — The Kamloops Symphony Orchestra (KSO) announces the departure of Dina Gilbert, who will be stepping down as Music Director & Principal Conductor at the end of the current 2024/25 season after eight remarkable years on the podium.
Since joining the KSO in 2017, Dina has been a driving force behind the orchestra’s artistic growth, bringing dynamic energy, innovative programming, and a strong commitment to community engagement. Her ability to curate compelling concert seasons that blend tradition with fresh perspectives—often highlighting women composers, Canadian, and Indigenous artists—has helped expand the KSO’s musical horizons and deepen its connection to the community.
Throughout her tenure, Dina championed inclusivity and innovation, leading interdisciplinary collaborations with visual artists, storytellers, and organizations such as Western Canada Theatre. She was instrumental in attracting younger and more diverse audiences through celebrated concerts with drag artist Thorgy Thor, hip hop artist K.A.S.P., and initiatives celebrating living composers.
Reflecting on her time with the KSO, Dina shared: "This decision was not made lightly. However, I feel it’s the right time for me to pursue new professional challenges and continue my artistic journey in new ways. I will truly cherish the countless unforgettable concerts we created together, and I feel so fortunate to have shared such a meaningful connection and friendship with the KSO musicians and choristers. I am deeply grateful to every patron, collaborator, and music lover who supported us in delivering bold and thoughtful programming to our audiences in Kamloops and Salmon Arm."
Dina’s artistic journey continues to flourish. Recently appointed Music Director of the Walla Walla Symphony Orchestra in Washington, she is also receiving an increased number of invitations to conduct orchestras across Canada, the United States and overseas. She also joins the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal in a newly created role as Associate Conductor where she will lead several subscription concerts from their 2025/26 season.
John McDonald, Board President of the Kamloops Symphony Society, commented: “Dina has made an immeasurable impact on the creation of music in our community through her presence on stages across Kamloops and Salmon Arm. Her dedication to sharing music with our audiences has enriched our cultural landscape, and we are grateful for her dynamic energy and vision over the past eight years. As we look forward to launching our 49th anniversary season at the end of May, the Board and administration of the KSO & KSO Music School are excited to continue building on the foundation Dina has helped create, ensuring that the KSO remains a vibrant, dynamic force in our community for many years to come.”
In partnership with the community and the musicians of the KSO, the Board of Directors will undertake a thoughtful and collaborative process to identify the orchestra’s next artistic leader—one who will build upon the remarkable foundation established during Dina’s tenure. As this process unfolds, the KSO remains dedicated to delivering outstanding performances and enriching educational programs for all residents of Kamloops and across the BC Interior.
Dina will continue to lead the orchestra through the remainder of the 2024/25 season, and we invite all audiences to join us in celebrating her contributions at her final concerts with the KSO as Music Director: Vivaldi’s Gloria on Saturday, April 12, Symphonic Stories: Handel Writes the Messiah with Kamloops favorite James MacDonald on Saturday, April 26, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 on Saturday, May 17.
With these final concerts, audiences can witness Dina’s signature energy and artistry on the KSO podium one last time —a celebration of the music, passion, and connection she has brought to the orchestra and the community.
About the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra
Now in its 48th anniversary season, the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra presents over 40 orchestral, chamber, choral, and education concerts across Kamloops and Salmon Arm annually. As the premier live music presenter in the BC Interior, and the largest regional orchestra in Western Canada, the KSO actively serves the community at cultural events throughout the region.
About Dina Gilbert
Regularly invited to conduct in Canada and overseas, Dina Gilbert attracts critical acclaim for her energy, her precision and versatility. From Québec, she is currently the Principal Conductor of the Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal, Music Director and Conductor of the Walla Walla Symphony and the outgoing Music Director of the Kamloops Symphony where she is known for her contagious dynamism and her audacious programming.
Dina Gilbert is passionate about communicating with audiences of all ages to broadening their appreciation of orchestral music through innovative collaborations. This commitment, as well as Dina Gilbert’s extensive knowledge of repertoire has shaped her career and the orchestras she has worked with.
Dina has conducted leading Canadian orchestras such as Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, the Orchestre métropolitain, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Hamilton Philharmonic and the Orchestre symphonique de Québec. She is frequently invited to conduct in France and also has conducted orchestras in the United States, Colombia, Spain and the Sinfonia Varsovia for a series of concerts in Japan.
Recent engagements included debuts with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Orchestre national des Pays de la Loire, a tour with the Orchestre national de Metz as well as several concerts with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and the Orchestre symphonique de Québec. Over the past seasons, as the Principal Conductor of the Orchestre des Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal, she participated in tours in the US, in Colombia and in Spain, and has premiered several ballets from Peter Quanz (La Dame aux Camélias : music by Weber, Lili Boulanger, Louise Farrenc and Kaija Saariaho), Étienne Béchard (Carmen Shchedrin’s Carmen Suite), Garrett Smith (Danser Beethoven), Jayne Smeulders (Prokofiev’s Cinderella) and Edward Clug (Orff’s Carmina Burana), in addition to the Grands Ballets repertoire of the company.
Her innate curiosity towards non-classical musical genres and willingness to democratize classical music has sparked collaborations with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and the Orchestre national de Lyon in several Hip Hop Symphonic programs featuring renowned artists IAM, MC Solaar, Youssoupha, Arsenik and Bigflo & Oli. She has also conducted the world premiere of the film The Red Violin with orchestra at the Festival de Lanaudière and has conducted the North American premiere of film The Artist with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal.
As the founder and artistic director of the Ensemble Arkea, a Montreal-based chamber orchestra, Dina premiered over thirty works from emerging Canadian composers from 2011 to 2017. Committed to music education, she has reached thousands of children with her interactive and participative Conducting 101 workshops across Canada.
From 2013 to 2016, Dina Gilbert was the assistant conductor of the Orchestre symphonique de Montreal and Maestro Kent Nagano, also assisting notable guest conductors including Zubin Mehta and Sir Roger Norrington. In April 2016, she received great acclaim for stepping in to replace Maestro Alain Altinoglu with the OSM in a program showcasing Gustav Holst's The Planets.
Featured in the recent documentary “Femmes symphoniques”, Dina Gilbert earned her doctorate from the Université de Montréal, where she studied with Jean-François Rivest and Paolo Bellomia and she polished her skills in masterclasses with Kenneth Kiesler, Pinchas Zukerman, Neeme Järvi and the musicians from the Kritische Orchester in Berlin. Awarded the Opus Prize of "Découverte de l'année" in 2017, Dina Gilbert also was one of the 50 personalities creating the extraordinary in Québec in 2018 by the Urbania Magazine. She has also received support from the Canada Arts Council, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and from the Père-Lindsay Foundation.
Dina Gilbert is represented by the KAJIMOTO agency.
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Media Contact:
Christopher Young
Executive Director, KSO & KSO Music School
chris@kamloopssymphony.com
250.372.5000