Springfield Symphony Orchestra CEO stepping down
SPRINGFIELD — Paul Lambert will retire as CEO of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra Oct. 1, after three years leading one of the region's premier — and sometimes quarrelsome — arts organizations.
Heather Caisse-Roberts, chief operating officer of the symphony, will assume leadership, the SSO board announced in a statement Wednesday.
Neither Caisse-Roberts or Lambert returned calls for comment.
In the statement, Lambert expressed his appreciation.
"I joined the SSO for what was to be a short-term position, first as interim executive director at a time when the orchestra was coming out of the pandemic and two years of no live SSO performances," Lambert said. "Also at the time, we were without a labor agreement with our incredible musicians, and our brand had suffered from the inaction of two years. It is one of the great privileges of my life to have served as president and CEO of the organization and see the orchestra come back to life."
Paul Lambert, president and CEO of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, makes opening remarks at the "Eternal Echoes" concert at Springfield Symphony Hall in March. (Steven E. Nanton / Special to The Republican, File)Steven E. Nanton
Wednesday's announcement came following a series of board discussions over the future direction of the symphony.
Lambert will stay on as a creative consultant to the orchestra and to Caisse-Roberts, according to the statement.
Caisse-Roberts joined the orchestra in 2022 as it reopened following COVID-19 and has worked as its development and grants associate, chief development and operations officer, and most recently, COO.
The orchestra lost $481,000 in 2022, according to its most recent tax document filed with the IRS. That's with investment income of $444,000 outstripping the $394,000 that it earned in ticket sales and other program revenue.
Lambert's total compensation for 2022 was $104,308, according to the most recent information available.
The Springfield Symphony Orchestra held its final concert of the season, "Variation & Virtuosity," on May 3 at Springfield Symphony Hall. (Matthew Litman / Special to The Republican, File)Matthew Litman / Special to The Republican
Top job turnover, contractual hitches
Before Lambert, leadership at SSO suffered from an extended period of instability.
In 2021, John Anz resigned after serving as interim executive director for eight months. He took over for Susan Beaudry, who'd been SSO's third executive director since the departure of longtime leader Michael Jonnes in 2012.
Problems also extended to the musicians, when the symphony's contract with American Federation of Musicians Local 171 ended in August 2020. Contract negotiations dragged through the pandemic, and the musicians complained to federal regulators of unfair labor practices.
In February 2023, the National Labor Relations Board ordered the orchestra's board of directors to pay unionized musicians the $276,406 that they would have earned for playing 10 concerts.
This June, the symphony turned a corner, agreeing to a contract with its musicians' union for the upcoming 2025-26 season and 2026-27 seasons. The deal calls for a minimum of eight symphonic concerts and an education concert geared to young people in the upcoming seasons.
New audiences
Lambert and the orchestra had worked to diversify its repertoire and attract new audiences. Recent concerts included a Latin jazz ensemble, the Mambo Kings; "Bugs Bunny at the Symphony"; annual MLK Jr. celebrations; and the Fearless Women Awards, honoring local women leaders in the community.
The orchestra also hosts Juneteenth concerts — free to attend for the community — each year to celebrate the Black history holiday.
It also played its second youth education concert of the last few years, welcoming 2,000 fourth graders in March to Symphony Hall.
Getting crowds into 2,600-seat Symphony Hall is imperative for downtown bars and restaurants that depend on business from foot traffic on concert nights.
As creative consultant, Lambert will support the SSO through the transition period, according to the statement.
The new season begins Oct. 11 with " A Night In Italy: Verdi, Respighi & Rota ."
Stories by Jim Kinney
Read the original article on MassLive .
