Tovey served as Music Director of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) for 18 years and is now the VSO's Music Director Emeritus. He is in demand as a conductor with some of the most prestigious orchestras in the world, including the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and orchestras across Europe and Asia. Maestro Tovey is widely known for elevating the profile and advancing the orchestras he leads. His vision and institutional leadership resulted in the creation of the VSO School of Music, housed within the Tovey Centre for Music in Vancouver. The state-of-the-art music center, named in his honor, opened in 2011 with a strong emphasis on community and education.

While Music Director of the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, he played an instrumental role in the opening of the Philharmonie Luxembourg, one of the finest concert halls in Europe. He also held successful artistic directorships with Calgary Opera and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO), where he created the WSO’s international New Music Festival, now in its 30th year.

"We are thrilled to welcome an artist of Bramwell Tovey’s stature at this important time in the development of our organization. His brilliant musicianship, passion for education, and his immediate chemistry with our musicians inspired his selection by the search committee and Board of Sarasota Orchestra," said Joseph McKenna, President and CEO.