Southwest Florida Symphony To Shut Down After 64 Years

Lee County's sole professional orchestra will close on June 30, 2025, ending a 64-year run. Rising costs, venue issues, and money shortfalls pushed the group past the point of no return.

"After much consideration and given recent leadership departures at the staff and board levels, the Board of Trustees has determined that the only course of action is to close the Southwest Florida Symphony," said Tom Uhler, president of the board of trustees, in a statement to Gulfshore Business.

What started as a small group of 24 music lovers in 1961 grew into the Fort Myers Symphony. The group later expanded to 70 skilled players who brought masterworks, pops shows, and seasonal concerts to audiences across Lee and Charlotte counties.

Financial woes mounted as ticket income dropped sharply. Twenty years ago, sales covered 40% of costs - now they make up just 20%. A recent $143,874 cut in state money dealt another blow to the struggling group.

"Nationally, only about 5 percent of the population across America gives a hoot about classical music," said Uhler to News-Press. "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."

Staff changes added to the turmoil. CEO Amy Ginsburg resigned, and the music director, Radu Paponiu, left this spring to lead young musicians in San Francisco.

The group's foundation will keep backing arts projects locally. Meanwhile, Fort Myers still has the Gulf Coast Symphony, which mixes pros with skilled volunteers to keep the music playing.