The Auburn Symphony Orchestra this week announced the death of founder and longtime conductor Stewart Kershaw, crediting his decades of leadership and advocacy with shaping the cultural life of Auburn and the south Puget Sound region.

In a statement released Tuesday, Feb. 3, the orchestra said Kershaw’s “vision, leadership, and devotion to musicians and community shaped the cultural life of Auburn and the greater Puget Sound region for decades.”

The orchestra said the idea for a resident Auburn symphony began in the mid 1990s after a conversation between Kershaw and arts advocate Josie Emmons Turner following a concert at the University of Washington’s Meany Hall. They envisioned “a first rate symphony rooted in the community, providing meaningful work for professional musicians and transformative musical experiences for local audiences and students.”

At the time, Auburn had few resident arts organizations. According to the orchestra, Kershaw believed communities should have their own artistic institutions rather than rely only on touring performances. As longtime music director of Pacific Northwest Ballet and creator of its orchestra, he recruited professional musicians and built what became a regional arts institution.

That vision became reality in 1997 with the inaugural performance of the Auburn Symphony Orchestra. From the beginning, Kershaw insisted on professional service rates for musicians, high artistic standards and programming that welcomed both longtime classical audiences and first time listeners, the organization said.

Over the years, the orchestra said many musicians across the Puget Sound region credited Kershaw with mentoring their careers and expanding professional opportunities. His influence extended beyond the podium into schools, families and civic life in Auburn and surrounding communities.

Born in Oxford, England, Kershaw studied at London’s Royal Academy of Music, where he later became a Fellow, and the Conservatoire National in Paris. His career included leadership roles with the Stuttgart Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet and major opera houses across Europe.

Despite an international résumé, he remained focused on south King County, continuing as music director of the Auburn Symphony long after retiring from Pacific Northwest Ballet in 2009. The orchestra described his conducting style as precise and warm and said that under his baton the Auburn Symphony became “a cultural jewel for the city.”

“Stewart Kershaw’s impact will be felt for generations in the musicians he inspired, the audiences he moved, and the orchestra he founded,” officials said in a statement.

The organization said it will spend the coming season determining ways to honor Kershaw’s legacy of artistic excellence, community investment and support for live orchestral music.