Artistic Director
Maestro J.J Louwersheimer
Maestro Johan Louwersheimer’s unique musical background and training has provided him with the enviable ability to stand in front of both professional and community orchestras and choirs. Maestro Louwersheimer began his training in conducting when he received an international scholarship to pursue doctoral studies in conducting at the University of Washington in Seattle with world renowned Maestro, Peter Eros. In Seattle, Maestro Louwersheimer initiated the University Summer Orchestra program, which he conducted for three consecutive summers. Maestro Louwersheimer is the first Doctoral student to organize and take the Washington University Symphony orchestra on tour. In 1992 Maestro Louwersheimer received the Warren Babb Memorial Award. In the summer of 1991, Maestro founded the Octava Chamber Orchestra in collaboration with concertmaster Matthew Weiss. With Octava, Maestro Louwersheimer toured Washington and the Fraser Valley in British Columbia. Octava has featured renowned soloists including Bela Siki, and Steven Stark.
In 1995 Maestro Louwersheimer became Artistic Director of the Handel Society in White Rock, British Columbia. Now in his 25th season with the choir, under his baton the choir has performed large scale choral orchestral masterworks including J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion and St. John Passion B Minor Mass, Mozart’s Masses and Requiem, Haydn's Masses, Beethoven’s Masses and Ninth Symphony, Schubert’s great Masses, Puccini’s Messa di Gloria, and the music of Benjamin Britten. For the celebration of the Handel Society’s 30th anniversary, Mr. Louwersheimer was instrumental in commissioning a new Canadian composition by Bruce Ruddell.
In 1995 Maestro Louwersheimer founded the Abbotsford Symphony Orchestra and Abbotsford Symphony Orchestra Chorus serving as Artistic Director from 1995-2007. As conductor of the Abbotsford Symphony, Maestro Louwersheimer has collaborated with outstanding Canadian musicians including Judith Forst, Anton Kuerti, Robert Silverman, Stephen Lemelin, Jonathon Crow, Jennifer Lim, and Ian Parker. Maestro Louwersheimer developed the much-loved educational Discovery Concerts to promote orchestra music to school age children.
In 2007, Maestro Louwersheimer received the Paul Harris Fellow Award from the Abbotsford Rotary Club for his commitment in promoting music in the community. In September 2009, local musicians and Maestro Louwersheimer founded the Chilliwack Metropolitan Orchestra. For the final concert of the 2010-11 season Maestro Louwersheimer commissioned the Divertimento for Three Trombones by Canadian composer, Michel R. Edward.
The scope of Maestro Louwersheimer musical career has included serving as the Artistic Director of the UW summer program, as the Artist in Residence at the prestigious University of Washington and Lee in Virginia, and in addition he has mentored musicians through master classes, as an adjudicator and clinician.
Artistic Director of the Handel Society, Maestro Louwersheimer also currently serves as the musical director/conductor of the Octava Chamber Orchestra in Seattle, as well as mentoring and coaching young musicians in the Chilliwack Youth Orchestra.
