THE MUSIC HAS STOPPED
BY DECISION OF SWFSO’s BOARD CHAIR
Support the MUSICIANS of the Southwest Florida Symphony
Statement from the Musicians’ Orchestra Committee of SWFSO
April 30, 2025
The musicians of Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra join the SWFSO Board in that we are “… so proud of the countless joyous experiences and treasured memories that the Southwest Florida Symphony has provided to residents, visitors and music lovers across our community over 64 years,…We are honored to have the longtime support of many donors, supporters and concert goers who have shared our love for orchestral music over the years."
However, in light of the recent announcement that the Symphony will cease operations permanently at the end of June 2025, we have several serious and unanswered questions for Mr. Tom Uhler and the SWFSO Board. These questions reflect not only our concern for transparency and accountability but also our deep desire to understand how this decision was reached—and whether it was truly unavoidable.
Questions for Mr. Uhler and the SWFSO Board:
1. Failure to Follow the 2013 Recovery Plan
In 2013, the Orchestra couldn’t pay its administrative staff and was forced to lay off everyone. The community rallied to offer financial support and a long-term plan was established, with the help of Industry Professionals.
Why wasn’t the developed long-term plan followed, and who decided not to do so?
2. Resignation of Music Director Radu Paponiu (2024)
Former music director Radu Paponiu abruptly resigned in April 2024 to take a job with a Youth Orchestra.
What is the real story of the 2024 resignation of music director Radu Paponiu?
3. Youth Orchestra Program Elimination
In a news article, Mr. Uhler is quoted as saying; “Our problem here is that, as the younger people are now retiring, they didn’t come up with classical music. And so they’re unlikely to start listening to it now.”
Why then did you agree to disband the SWFSO youth orchestra program, when it is arguably the most effective avenue to create the next generation of musicians, symphony patrons, and music lovers?
4. State Arts Funding Cuts
Another factor, Uhler said, was Gov. Ron DeSantis' decision “to cut all state arts-and-culture grants last year. The orchestra had requested $148,000, he said, and got nothing. They're expecting not to get much this year, either.”
How much state funding was provided to the SWFSO in previous seasons? Who was responsible for making those requests from SWFSO [and why wasn’t more diversified funding pursued]?
5. Venue Relations and Missed Performance Opportunities
Another quote from Uhler on April 29. “There are very few suitable, cost-effective venues in Lee and Charlotte counties, and the costs of performances have grown to be very expensive," The Board of Directors must build and maintain good relations with the venues that the Symphony utilizes. This includes the ability to find donors and work with community leaders to help minimize the cost of using these venues. In addition, when SWFSO had free access to a good chamber music venue (Bell Tower) 2021-2023, rather than producing SWFSO concerts, the Executive Director presented movies to ticketed patrons.
6. National Trends and Local Realities
“Classical music is struggling across the country...” said Tom Uhler, president of the orchestra's board of trustees. "Nationally, only about 5 percent of the population across America gives a hoot about classical music. [See statements that refute this from local area Arts Organizations below] In its statement, the American Federation of Musicians Local 427-721 cited what it called orchestra management’s “misleading and defeatist claims" for shutting down the symphony.“
“The suggestion that orchestral music is no longer viable is simply false," said Richard Sparrow, secretary-treasurer of Local 427-721, in the statement. "Many orchestras across the country—including right here in Florida—have demonstrated the opposite. Sarasota and Naples, just an hour north and south, have thriving ensembles with loyal audiences, strong fundraising, and sustainable contracts."
7. High Staff Turnover
A decade ago, Mr. Uhler’s Board decided to hire a person to serve as Executive Director who had neither professional experience in the industry, nor the appropriate education for the position. In hindsight, what outcomes did they realistically expect from such a decision?
Why was the Orchestra leadership ‘satisfied’ with the amount of staff turnover? With approximately 10 paid staff positions at SWFSO, at least 36 paid staff left the organization over the last decade.
8. Bylaw Changes and Leadership Longevity
Why did Mr. Uhler change the Symphony Board Bylaws to remove his term limits as Board Chair if he was going to give up and decide to shut things down?
9. Root Causes and the Future of the Symphony
The musicians contend that the true cause of SWFSO's demise is more than a decade of leadership failures, programming cuts, declining community presence, and deteriorating labor relations. With new dedicated leadership from the community, it is possible that the SWFSO could continue for another 64 years.
A Video Message of Support from The Florida Orchestra Musicians and Music Director Michael Francis
TFO Music Director Michael Francis speaks out to refute the claim that “classical music is struggling” — a claim quoted by SWFSO Board Chair, Tom Uhler.
The Florida Orchestra Musicians along with Ross Holcombe, TFO Orchestra Committee Chair and Music Director, Michael Francis
Thank you to our friends and musical neighbors, the Fort Myers Symphonic Mastersingers for your message of support and denouncing Board Chair Uhler’s claim that classical music interest is dwindling.
“In light of the Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra's announcement to close after 64 seasons, the Fort Myers Symphonic Mastersingers would like to publicly express our gratitude to the many talented musicians who have brought such beauty and exceptional music to our community.
We stand together in support of the musicians affected by the sudden closure of the orchestra, and affirm the truth that classical music, both choral and orchestral, remains not only relevant, but vital to our community. Music is more than a performance. It is connection, inspiration, and a space to be and become. We urge our community to reject the notion that public interest in classical music is waning, and instead stand with local arts organizations to build a stronger future for the arts.”
“As President of the Regional Orchestra Players’ Association (ROPA), I write this message in support of the Southwest Florida Symphony Musicians. The ROPA Executive Board just recently learned of the decision to close the Orchestra. We deplore this decision, and we urge the Board of the SWFSO to come to an agreement that preserves both the identity of the orchestra as a key facet of the cultural identity of the region and the livelihoods of its talented and dedicated musicians.
Based in Fort Myers, Florida, the SWFSO is one of the region’s most respected professional orchestra and the only fully professional symphony in Lee County, with a rich history of artistic development and community engagement. Established in 1961, this institution has brought musicians and soloists of the highest caliber to the region, and expanded programming to include youth concerts and educational outreach. Its Youth Orchestra and Young Artists Competition, along with the Symphony Masterworks, Pops and Chamber Orchestra series, all bring classical music to new audiences as well as important benefits to the local economy. That is 64 years of great work.
You might ask “how did the SWFSO evolve from its roots as a community orchestra to a fully professional group made up of 70 committed, talented musicians?” The answer is rooted in what the community needed which was high caliber music performances, music outreach to their youth and music education. The numbers in publicly available documents don’t support a unilateral move to close and this decision by the board was made in secret with no advance notice to the musicians or the public that a closure was imminent. The SWFSO Board and management should join with their musicians in growing an orchestra that has become a mainstay of the quality of life in Southwest Florida.”
Steve Wade
President, Regional Orchestra Players’ Association
ROPA represents over 80 regional orchestras just like SWFSO
Musicians’ Response to SWFSO’s decision to close its doors after 60 years:
The musicians of the Southwest Florida Symphony, represented by our union (American Federation of Musicians Local 427-721), feel compelled to respond to the recent statement issued by the organization’s leadership.
For over a decade, the Executive Director, Amy Ginsburg, and the Board of Directors have failed to provide the strategic leadership and committed fundraising efforts essential to sustaining a thriving symphony orchestra. Rather than engaging in the necessary and often difficult work of securing financial support and community relevance, the leadership has consistently relied on excuses and deflections—undermining the cultural foundation the symphony has represented in Fort Myers for over 60 years.
This failure has led directly to drastic programming cuts, rendering the orchestra unrecognizable and unviable for many of its professional musicians. These musicians, many of whom have dedicated years of their lives to the symphony and the community, have been left with no choice but to seek opportunities elsewhere. The result is a diminished organization and a profound loss for the cultural landscape of our region.
Contrary to the statement of our Board Chair Uhler, there is clearly a strong enthusiasm for outstanding classical music in our area—as evidenced by the success of our neighbors, the Naples Philharmonic, Sarasota Orchestra, and the Florida Orchestra. The real issue has been the lack of vision from our Board and CEO, and their failure to effectively lead an orchestra of such history and resources in our community.
We believe the people of Fort Myers deserve to have a professional Symphony Orchestra and the Southwest Florida Symphony institution under new leadership should continue. It is our sincere hope that community members, especially those who have felt excluded or disengaged by SWFSO leadership over the past decade will join together to ensure that the Southwest Florida Symphony’s excellence continues to shine along with a new Board that champions live professional classical music and all the arts. The musicians stand ready to work with dedicated community members to partner and continue to bring professional symphonic music to our audiences, and to our community.
What musicians are saying
Troy Chang, Principal Cello (4/29/25)
”At 10:12 this morning an email arrived about the closing of the orchestra with whom I won my first audition in Florida, barely an hour before news about it broke on social media. I was in the middle of a rehearsal at the time with another orchestra that actually seems to value its musicians and endeavors to expand its reach within the community.
I wish I could say I'm one iota surprised at this news, but having spent years as the Orchestra Committee Chair dealing with and negotiating CBA's with management, their shortsightedness, absolute callousness in their caring of the musicians, and refusal to properly fundraise makes this unfortunately almost expected. Their hysterically erroneous views that musicians are simply employees who should do what they're told, that musicians are fungible, that their audience cannot tell the difference between a professional who has spent their entire life refining their craft and a young student, that Fort Myers is a blue collared town with no money to support a professional orchestra, that we should be grateful for the crumbs offered to us, all has culminated to this.
So many of my colleagues have spent countless hours of uncompensated time defending and working towards an orchestra of which we could all be proud. But the board chose to spend untold amounts of money on lawyers [instead of producing concerts] to destroy the musician's union within the orchestra when the money spent on said lawyers could have given the musicians everything we were asking for in CBA negotiations and then some, many times over. Those negotiating sessions took years off my life in stress and worry.
"The unfortunate fact is that classical music is struggling to thrive across the country." [as publicly quoted by Board Chair, Uhler] ….Yet another untrue tired old trope of an excuse that has existed for centuries. Classical music has never been as popular as pop music. That's not its purpose. A painting by Michelangelo is not better or worse than a comic strip - they are different and serve different purposes. Classical music is simultaneously art and entertainment that is meant to inspire and lift up its consumers and its messages are just as pertinent now as they were a hundred or two hundred years ago. Just because classical music isn't as popular as Taylor Swift doesn't mean it is dying. It will always have its place in culture and society because of said inspiration and relevancy. I'm greatly saddened that my suspicion that the leadership of Southwest Florida Symphony never understood the above has been confirmed without a shadow of a doubt.
I am grateful for the privilege of serving as Principal Cello of the Southwest Florida Symphony for almost the past ten years and thankful for the friends and colleagues that made that place special. I'm sorry we were all so profoundly betrayed by our management.
Over the last 10 years, Southwest Florida Symphony has cut Symphonic Concerts by over 50% and cut it’s Youth Orchestra Program by 100%
…despite Fort Myers and the surrounding areas rapidly growing over the last 10 years. Take a stand and support the Musicians of the Southwest Florida Symphony who believe in growth - not cuts, and want to leave a thriving organization for professional classical music in the Ft. Myers community for future generations of musicians and audience members.
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Number of SWFSO concerts cut by over 50%
Because of this diminishing impact on our community, the future of this 64-year-old institution, YOUR SYMPHONY, is in jeopardy.
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Substandard contract for musicians after almost 5 years of negotiations
The Musicians of the Southwest Florida Symphony had been working without a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) since September 2019. This situation has impacted what our community sees and hears on stage.
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Youth Orchestra Program has been cut 100%
In only 6 years, the once thriving Youth Orchestra - Education Program has been cut from 120+ students with 3 levels of orchestras, down to no students and no youth orchestra or ensembles. The professional musicians of SWFSO, most of whom have multiple degrees - many who teach at the college level, are no longer utilized or invited to work with your community students or go into the schools.