Fired After 16 Years at the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra, Rosemary Thomson Files an Unfair Dismissal Claim

The former Okanagan Music Director, Thomson says she is "100% confident" it can be proved that her employer was in breach of contract

The Canadian conductor Rosemary Thomson, who has served as Music Director of the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra (OSO) for 16 years, was fired from her position on December 1, 2023 — and has now filed a claim against her employer for wrongful dismissal.

Thomson claimed that the dismissal related to allegations surrounding a recent OSO performance "with guest artists representing Indigenous cultures and improvisatory traditions outside the OSO’s classical roots, and [the allegations] are without merit."

She went on to claim that the difficulties arising from the concert were purely practical, since the Indigenous performers do not work using the same tradition of notation that the orchestra does.

"Trying to create parts for the orchestra can be challenging that fit, because they’re not necessarily doing things the same way every time which is very exciting, so it caused some hiccups," Thomson said.

Judy Burns, the president of the Okanagan Symphony Society, said that the information Thomson had shared presented only her perspective on the situation, and put the board in a difficult position — since they cannot shed any further light on the dismissal without breaching the privacy of those concerned.

"The release of Rosemary Thomson from her contract was done after a thorough examination of the available information," Burns said, according to the Penticton Herald. "The OSS Board consulted expert advice, evaluated options and performed a careful analysis before making a difficult decision."

"I’m 100% confident that we will prove they did not have cause which makes them in breach of my contract, and I will be vindicated," Thomson said in an interview with Okanagan Newspaper Group. "This is all heartbreaking and really unnecessary."