8290 College Pkwy Suite 103 Ft. Myers, FL 33919 239-418-1500 www.swflso.org
President and CEO of the Southwest Florida Symphony dies,
Interim executive director named
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: Friday, February 27, 2015
Fort Myers, Florida- The Southwest Florida Symphony has named Amy Ginsburg-Padilla as its interim executive director. The appointment comes in the wake of the untimely death of the symphony’s president and C.E.O., John Hudson, who passed away on Feb. 5. John began his tenure with the Southwest Florida Symphony as a member of the symphony’s board of trustees, then as its treasurer. He ultimately undertook the C.E.O. role in the spring of 2013, during some of the symphony’s darkest financial hours. He is credited with the orchestra’s turnaround, leading the charge to put it back on solid financial footing. Quote – “John was a dedicated and caring leader who ushered this organization from near financial collapse to where it is today. We are financially sound, growing, and the orchestra and this community are in his debt for the contribution he made,” said Ginsburg-Padilla. “John brought me here and took me under his wing and it’s my hope to continue his work of elevating this world-class orchestra.”
John Edward Hudson, passed away at the age of 67, surrounded by family after a brief illness. John graduated from Syracuse University with an MBA and the 1988 Harvard AMP. John retired in 2006 from Thermo King where he was Managing Director of Asia Pacific. John was a Board Member of the Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra and President and CEO from 2013 to present. He is survived by his wife Jane Richards Hudson, children James and Jennifer and grandchildren Riley and Marley Rockwood.
Jane has established the John Hudson Memorial Scholarship Fund with the Southwest Florida Symphony Society to honor her late husband. Contributions to this fund may be made by mailing checks payable to the Southwest Florida Symphony Society to the Southwest Florida Symphony office. The symphony office is located at 8290 College Parkway, Suite 103 in Fort Myers.
Southwest Florida Symphony General Information
The Southwest Florida Symphony is the only professional orchestra in Lee County and one of the oldest on Florida’s gulf coast. It enters its 54th season this year, having made its debut as a community orchestra on April 15, 1961. Conducted by Arlo Deibler, the Symphony began its life as a community orchestra and its original roster consisted of 24 musicians. It performed in community centers and schools throughout Lee and Collier Counties. It has since grown to become Lee County’s only professional symphony orchestra, filling Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall with symphonic music enthusiasts and a roster consisting of more than 65 world-class musicians. The Southwest Florida Symphony’s 54th year promises to be a season of excitement and celebration as it welcomes its new maestro, internationally acclaimed Nir Kabaretti. The incoming music director will be the fifth in the organization’s history and was selected through a painstaking process of interviews, public appearances and live auditions during the 2013-14 season. The Southwest Florida Symphony’s mission is to celebrate the joy of music and to inspire audiences with a variety of quality concerts performed by professional musicians that are accessible to all.
