Announcing the Vancouver Symphony Centre and VSO School of Music's first Executive Director

Announcing the Vancouver Symphony Centre and

VSO School of Music’Äôs first Executive Director

Vancouver BC ’Äì The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is pleased to announce Shaun Taylor as the first Executive Director of the Vancouver Symphony Centre and VSO School of Music. Mr. Taylor will begin his new position in September 2009. As Executive Director, Mr. Taylor will play an integral role in managing the Centre and shaping the direction of the Music School, in accordance with the strategies and objectives for the School established by the VSO.

Originally from Los Angeles, Mr. Taylor earned a Bachelor of Music Degree in Tuba performance from the University of Southern California, and a Master of Music Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He has worked as the Music Program Manager of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Peck School of the Arts, the Program Coordinator for the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, kindergarten through Grade 8 Music Teacher at the Central City Cyberschool of Milwaukee and as a freelance musician.

Now a Canadian citizen, Shaun has been the Principal of the Chilliwack Academy of Music since September 2004, and President of the BC Association of Community Music Schools since 2007. His track record at the Academy in the areas of student and faculty recruitment and retention, program development, fundraising, budgeting, strategic planning and facility management has been extremely impressive. He has also made important contributions to the creation of the Chilliwack Cultural Centre and in the acoustic, aesthetic and technical designs for that facility, which is scheduled to open next summer.

President & CEO Jeff Alexander stated: ’ÄúI am delighted we have been able to engage an administrator, educator, musician and person of Shaun Taylor’Äôs experience to head up the Vancouver Symphony Centre and VSO School of Music. This exciting initiative continues to take shape and Shaun will be the ideal person to move it toward and beyond the grand opening in early 2011.’Äù

The VSO School of Music within the Symphony Centre will be a locus of lifelong learning, providing programs from preschoolers to seniors. The School of Music, a distinct not ’Äìfor-profit charitable society, will see hundreds and eventually thousands of students attending the school on a weekly basis, taking private and group lessons, chamber music workshops, theory and composition classes from members of the VSO and Vancouver’Äôs freelance musician community, as well as Master classes from VSO conductors and guest artists, and much more. Distance learning opportunities will also be provided to students from throughout British Columbia and further afield. The School of Music itself will include a recital hall, private teaching studios, classrooms, function space, recording capabilities, and a retail presence at street level.

The VSO School of Music will comprise a portion of the first four floors of Wall Financial Corporation’Äôs Capitol Residences development, immediately adjacent to the Orpheum on Seymour Street (the former site of the Capitol 6 cinema).

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