Daily News

Springfield Symphony Orchestra Names Paul Lambert President and CEO

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO) announced the appointment of the interim Director Paul Lambert to the position of president and CEO, removing Lambert’s interim status.

Lambert joined the SSO as interim director in January 2022. He came to the SSO after serving for many years as vice president of Enshrinement Services & Community Engagement at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Since his appointment to the interim director position, Lambert has overseen the return to the stage of the SSO with six classical and two pops concerts in the current 2022-23 season, the first in more than two years as a result of the pandemic. He has been instrumental in adding new individuals to the SSO board, hiring key new staff, re-engaging with the corporate and philanthropic community, and launching a comprehensive communications and marketing program to support the current season.

Lambert succeeded interim Executive Director John Anz, who left the SSO to take a position at another organization.

“I am truly honored and humbled to serve in this position and appreciate the trust invested in me by the SSO,” Lambert said. “I am a longtime subscriber to the SSO and know how important the symphony is to the cultural landscape of Springfield and all of Western Massachusetts. I am passionate about the symphony and what it represents to all of us who love symphonic music and the arts. A successful Springfield Symphony requires the engagement of the entire community, and I welcome this new position in leading the collective efforts to see the SSO succeed.”

Lambert’s professional experience includes nearly 20 years with the Basketball Hall of Fame, initially as vice president of Guest Experience and Programming, and more recently as vice president of Enshrinement Services & Community Engagement. His work transformed the Hall of Fame Enshrinement into a nationally recognized celebration and media event that has served as the bedrock of the Hall’s development and outreach efforts.

Prior to the Hall of Fame, Lambert served as director of Event Production for the National Basketball Assoc. (NBA), working on the development and execution of live programming, grassroots initiatives, and international events, including the NBA Jam Session program, numerous All-Star Games, and successfully staged events in Canada, Mexico, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Before working in the basketball industry, Lambert enjoyed a career in the professional theater, including roles as general manager of the Cape Playhouse in Dennis for seven years and as executive director of the Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Conn. He also served as a production stage manager for many years.

Lambert serves on a number of local boards and community organizations, including the National Conference for Community and Justice, New England Public Media (where he was a board chair), the Loomis Communities, and the boards of Cape Cod Center for the Arts, the South Hadley Cultural Council, Longmeadow UNICO, and the Springfield Rotary. He is a graduate, cum laude, of Boston College, with a bachelor’s degree in English and theater.