Regina conductor adds Saskatoon job

The high-profile conductor of the Regina Symphony Orchestra will be taking on a similar role with Saskatoon's symphony.

Victor Sawa, music director of the Regina orchestra for a decade, has been hired as the Saskatoon orchestra's music director for the 2010-11 season, the Saskatoon Symphony announced Tuesday.

With the new job, Sawa will be pulling triple duty — he's also the music director and conductor of the symphony in Sudbury, Ont.

Jane Wollenberg, the acting president of the orchestra in Saskatoon, said Sawa will be able to handle his multiple jobs.

"Victor's energy is boundless, there's no question about that," Wollenberg said. "Artistic directors often work with different orchestras. It's part of keeping them fresh and vibrant and certainly they manage their time beautifully that way."

Sawa will replace Earl Stafford, who returned to Saskatoon on a two-year contract to help the Saskatoon symphony through what officials called "difficult times."

The hiring is part of the Saskatoon Symphony's rebuilding process. Earlier in the decade, the orchestra was $300,000 in debt.