Former Stratford Summer Music production manager appointed executive director

A former production manager that worked for Stratford Summer Music over three seasons roughly a decade ago is returning as the summer music festival’s newly appointed executive director.

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Taking over from outgoing general manager Kendra Fry, who is moving on to focus on her church repurposing consulting practice, Crystal Spicer will start in her new role Nov. 13. Currently living in Calgary, she has more than 20 years of production experience in the performing arts across music, dance and theater.

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“We’ve been watching Stratford very closely as a place that my family wanted to move to, so we’re very happy moving back to Stratford,” Spicer said. “My wife is from Stratford, so being back in the community that we both love is super important to us. I’ve been watching Stratford Summer Music from afar. (This job) came up and I said, ‘You know what, I’m just going to throw my hat in the ring.’

“And luckily for me, I’m very honored to have been chosen, and I’m looking forward to moving to Stratford and working for a company I hold very close in my heart. I loved working for the festival for those three seasons, and it’s nice to be able to come back and give back to both the community and the company.”

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Spicer has worked with various arts organizations, including Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Regina’s Globe Theatre, the National Arts Center in Ottawa and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. According to Stratford Summer Music board chair Jean Anne McLeod, Spicer’s passion for the arts, her understanding of how many different genres of performing arts are produced in Canada, and her leadership and management experience at major Canadian arts organizations made her a perfect fit for executive director.

“She’s got amazing credentials and background across all of those genres, whether it’s music, theater, opera, dance, and she just ticked all the boxes,” McLeod said. “We’ve heard great things about her time when she was here in Stratford. The board and our search committee met with a lot of people, we had a lot of applicants, and as soon as we met with Crystal we thought, ‘Ok, let’s just keep going down this road.’”

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During the interview process, McLeod said Spicer spent a lot of time getting to know Stratford Summer Music artistic director Mark Fewer, who joined the music festival five years and will be working closely with Spicer.

“Crystal’s strong understanding of the artistic and production processes, along with her administrative and financial skills, are a perfect combination to contribute to Stratford Summer Music’s continued success,” Fewer said in a press release. “I’m looking forward to partnering with her as we plan our upcoming seasons of bringing a rich variety of music to our dedicated and appreciative Stratford audiences.”

As she prepares to move back from Calgary, Spicer said she’s excited to begin reacquainting herself with Stratford Summer Music and its staff and determining how and where her skills can be best put to use.

“It’s very important to me … that I learn what Mark wants for next season,” she said, “and I really support him through his artistic process … so I can do the best job possible for Stratford Summer Music.”

Stratford Summer Music will announce the lineup for its 2024 season later this fall.

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