SweetWater Music Festival is announcing a new artistic director for 2020 season. The SweetWater Music Festival Board of Directors has appointed Edwin Huizinga as Artistic Director effective October 1. He will lead SweetWater into the 2020 season and become Artistic Director Designate beginning June 1. Huizinga’s appointment comes after Festival co-founder and current Artistic Director Mark Fewer took on the same role at Stratford Summer Music in late 2018. Fewer will be overseeing his final SweetWater Music Festival in September.
Huizinga was selected from an impressive list of candidates from across North America during a five-month search. SweetWater Board Chair Colleen Purdon admits it was a challenge to make a final choice but it was clear Huizinga was the perfect fit for SweetWater today.
“Edwin is no stranger to SweetWater audiences and is an internationally-acclaimed musician. He studied with founding Artistic Director Mark Fewer and is committed to carrying forward Mark’s legacy of musical excellence and community connection. Edwin is a warm and versatile musician, with boundless energy and a passion for bringing musicians and audiences together for a shared experience of music.”
An accomplished violinist, a fiddler, a composer, and an improviser, Huizinga has a busy international schedule performing with the folk and baroque duo Fire & Grace and internationally-acclaimed early music, 12-piece baroque band ACRONYM. His latest commissions include a world premiere at the Palace of Versailles, a North American premiere of his new Cantata, Angel Speaks, and a solo work for baroque violin, Inception. He has performed with orchestras and ensembles worldwide including Carmel Bach Festival, Amsterdam Conservatory Baroque Orchestra, and Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra. This next season Huizinga’s concert engagements will take him all over North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. He also has provided artistic direction for various events including annual Big Sur Fiddle Camp. Huizinga has three upcoming album releases: Dark Watchers with Jonas Bonetta, a full-length album of composed ambient music for violin and piano; Partita Americana, fusing classical and bluegrass music; an album of Biber, with ACRONYM. Huizinga, who has performed numerous times at SweetWater, will also be one of the featured performers at SweetWater 2019.
“I am honoured and humbled to be walking in the footsteps of Mark Fewer and cannot wait to continue to make SweetWater one of Canada’s most incredible, unique music festivals for internationally-acclaimed artists. I’m absolutely thrilled that I will be able share my passion and creative ideas with music lovers in the Grey Bruce community and beyond," said Huizinga.
Mark Fewer congratulated Huizinga on his appointment and looks forward to what lies ahead. “A sign of success in the arts world is when each transition in leadership takes a step forward in the right direction. After a search which included many excellent candidates, I’m delighted to see Edwin Huizinga be chosen as the next person to lead SweetWater in the future. Having known him since he was a teenager and having seen his career blossom, I have no doubt that he will continue SweetWater’s mission and bring our community more reasons to be proud!”
The SweetWater Music Festival, based in Owen Sound and Meaford, Ontario, was established in 2004 and recently celebrated its 15th anniversary season. It showcases the best musicians from across Canada and beyond performing classical, jazz, and contemporary music. Along with the three-Day Festival annually (this year September 20 to 22), SweetWater is well-known for other music events including the popular spring jazz concert. It’s also highly-active promoting music awareness and education through outreach activities such as music workshops with SweetWater performers, family-friendly interactive, music activities, and recently organized the first-ever music trade show in Grey Bruce.
SweetWater is a registered, not-for-profit organization, supported by generous donors, sponsors and businesses in the region. It currently receives multi-year funding from Canadian Heritage and the Ontario Arts Council.
