Prominent Canadian conductor and artistic director Boris Brott has been killed in an alleged hit-and-run in Hamilton, Ont. on Tuesday.
"Boris was tragically killed earlier today when he was struck by a car in Hamilton," the Orchestre classique de Montréal (OCM) said in a statement Tuesday night.
Police said they received a report of a vehicle driving on the wrong side of the road on the Hamilton Mountain just after 10 a.m.
Twenty minutes later, police said, a pedestrian was struck by the vehicle while in the area of Park Avenue South at Markland Street, just south of the downtown core.
The 78-year-old man, who has now been identified as Brott, was transported to hospital with serious injuries where he was later pronounced dead.
Police allege the driver fled the scene following the crash, but was arrested a short distance away.
Officers followed the vehicle and tried to stop it, according to the province’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU), which is probing the arrest. The suspect vehicle subsequently collided with several police vehicles, the SIU said.
Three officers and the driver were injured during the arrest and were taken to hospital, according to Hamilton police.
Tributes began pouring in Tuesday evening after Brott was identified as the victim fatally struck in the initial collision.
"The entire OCM family is in a state of disbelief," the statement from the orchestra said. "Boris Brott was the beating heart of the Orchestre Classique de Montréal, a renowned leader in the world of classical music in North America and beyond, a mentor to countless young musicians, and a very dear friend to so many."
"His sudden passing thus leaves a deep void in our musical community, and a profound sadness in our personal lives."
In a statement late Tuesday, Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger offered condolences to Brott’s family and called him “our beloved maestro.”
“Boris was not only a giant in the classical music world, he was also a giant for promoting and building Hamilton and his efforts over decades helped lift our community to new heights,” Eisenberger said in the statement.
He noted that Brott was the founder of Hamilton’s Brott Music Festival and was also an Officer of the Order of Canada and a member of the Order of Ontario who had performed for royalty and the pope.
A “Hamiltonian and a man of the people,” Eisenberger recalled one time when the conductor brought classical music to the city’s people with an orchestral performance staged in the Dofasco steel plant. He remembered that Brott also used to bring thousands of school kids to his annual concert with performances planned just for them, and staged online concerts to keep up spirits during COVID-19 lockdowns.
Most recently he had been planning a benefit concert for Ukrainians suffering under the Russian invasion.
“Boris loved and was committed to Hamilton and its people, and we loved him back even more. It was this mutual love that led to Boris being voted as one of the greatest Hamiltonians of all time,” Eisenberger said.
According to the OCM, Brott leaves behind his wife, Ardyth, and three children Ben, Alexandra, and David.
I'm heartbroken at the tragic loss of visionary Canadian conductor, Boris Brott. From the National Academy Orchestra of Canada to Brott Music Festival and beyond, he shared his love of music with #HamOnt and the world. Thinking of Ardyth and the family as they grieve this loss.
We are devastated to learn of the untimely passing of Maestro Boris Brott. His warmth as a human being and his passion for music was an inspiration to all of us. Our deepest condolences go to his family, his wife Ardyth and his children.
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