Bryan Croft, who has served as general manager of the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra for the last eight years, is moving on. In February, Bryan will begin work as managing director of the Toronto-based Artists’ Health Centre Foundation – and will also be stepping down from the Orchestras Canada board. We wish Bryan all the best in his new position.

The Regina Symphony Orchestra has announced a career transition for its long-time and well-loved concertmaster Eduard Minevich. After 13 years with the orchestra (as well as 10, 11 and 6 years each as concertmaster with the KW Symphony, Orchestra London and the Leningrad Concert Orchestra respectively), Minevich will step down as RSO concertmaster at the end of the 2011-12 season – but he will stay on with the organization, leading its new Piapot project (through which he’s teaching violin to young students, arranging music and performing as soloist at the Piapot First Nation) and exploring opportunities to expand the RSO’s education programs into more communities in future seasons.

Congratulations to Toronto artist manager Ann Summers Dossena, who has been awarded the Manager of the Year Award at the annual Awards Ceremony and Luncheon of NAPAMA – the North American Association of Performing Arts Managers and Agents – and APAP – the Association of Performing Arts Presenters. The presentation was made by Robert Baird, Toronto artist manager and president of NAPAMA, at the Hilton New York. From her 1958 start in New York, through her years in Rome (1968-1977) to her Toronto base since 1977, Ann Summers Dossena has been a tireless advocate for the arts for more than five decades.

The Peterborough Symphony Orchestra, Market Hall, and the Kawartha Youth Orchestra have named conductor Dina Gilbert as RBC Emerging Artist for 2012, under a newly created emerging artist apprenticeship program. Ms Gilbert holds a doctorate in orchestral conducting from the Université de Montréal. The program is a collaboration between three community arts partners, Market Hall, the Kawartha Youth Orchestra and Peterborough Symphony Orchestra. Working under the guidance of PSO and KYO music director Michael Newnham, Ms Gilbert will receive an intensive period of mentoring and gain insight into the role played by a conductor and music director of community and youth orchestras.

We’ve recently learned of two recently-appointed composers-in-residence with Canadian orchestras – and we’d like to welcome them to the family. Serge Arcuri is the new (and first-ever!) composer in residence with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, which performed one of his existing works on January 10, and will be giving the world premiere of a new work in February. You can find out more about him here.

Simon Bertrand, an award-winning Quebec composer (and nominee for a Prix Opus 2011) has just been appointed as composer in residence with the Orchestre symphonique de Longueuil. In this new position, he’ll be creating original compositions and arrangements for the orchestra, while working closely with music director Marc David. To share his experiences as composer-in-residence, he’s created a blog at residenceosdl.wordpress.com.

The Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières has announced a five-year contract renewal for its busy Music Director, Jacques Lacombe. Speaking about the contract renewal, Maestro Lacombe said, “I’ve been so welcomed by my hometown orchestra, and have had such a vote of confidence from this wonderful musical family, I consider myself fortunate to continue this relationship. By sharing our talents and our energies, we have created an orchestra that we can all be proud of – and we’ve only just begun our work together!”

Congratulations to the winners of the OSM Standard Life Competition for 2011, this year devoted to voice, brass and woodwinds. The competition draws outstanding young performers from across Canada to perform for an international panel – along with the opportunity to win generous and imaginative prizes, scholarships for advanced study at Canada’s finest summer music programs, and performance opportunities. The Grand Prize winner this year is bass-baritone Gordon Bintner; first prize winners in the brass and winds categories are trombonist Vanessa Fralick and clarinettist Eric Abramovitz respectively. For a complete list of winners and prizes, please visit osm.ca.

Congratulations to Montreal composer-conductor Stewart Grant, whose new Concerto for Flute, Oboe and String Orchestra was premiered by the Israel Chamber Orchestra in Tel Aviv last weekend.

At its recent Annual General Meeting, the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony presented the 2011 Mabel Krug Award and the 2011 Rachel Smith-Spencer Award. The Mabel Krug Award went to long-time KWS volunteer Joan Thompson, in honour of long-term active service, energy and the the advancement of the KWS. The Rachel Smith-Spencer Award, an annual employee recognition award, was presented to Sandra Villaraga for her outstanding job performance, dedication, positive attitude and contributions to the KWS.

The Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal has announced that Marie-Josée Desrochers has accepted the role of Director, Strategic Planning and International Affairs. In this newly created position, she will lead the OSM’s artistic department and will oversee artistic planning, partnership development at the local and international levels, recording and distribution contracts, and the development of the OSM’s strategy for international outreach. Most recently, she has headed the orchestra’s marketing and public relations department. In light of Ms Desrocher’s new role, Claudine Ferragut willtake over as Director of Marketing for the orchestra, and a search is now underway for a Director of Public Relations.

Amir Ali Alibhai, who has for the last 3 years led the Vancouver Alliance for Arts and Culture, has announced that he will be leaving that position to take up a consulting role with the new Aga Khan Museum in Toronto.

Congratulations to Toronto arts consultant and long-time cultural manager Jane Marsland, who has been awarded the Rita Davies and Margo Bindhardt Cultural Leadership Award at the 2011 Toronto Arts Foundation awards.

Earlier this week, Martha Durdin, Chair of the Ontario Arts Council (OAC) announced the appointment of Peter Caldwell as Director and CEO of the Ontario Arts Council. He succeeds John Brotman who is retiring after ten years at the council’s helm. Speaking about the appointment, Ms. Durdin said, “Peter impressed us with his personal experience as an artist, his firm understanding of the arts community and the leadership skills that he brought to the remarkable transformations at OCAD University over the past several years. He takes over an organization that has not only thrived in the last decade but which, under John’s guidance, reflects the growth and diversity of Ontario’s arts community.” A career-long arts manager, Mr. Caldwell served as Vice President, Finance & Administration at OCAD University (formerly Ontario College of Art & Design) from 1994 to April 2011. He begins his new role at the OAC in February 2012.