Springfield — Paul Lambert, President and CEO of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO), has announced his retirement and the SSO Board announced that Heather Caisse-Roberts, currently COO of the organization, will assume leadership of the SSO.
Lambert, whose retirement is effective October 1, 2025, will stay on as a creative consultant to the SSO and to Caisse-Roberts. Caisse-Roberts joined the Orchestra in 2022, during its post-pandemic resurgence, and has since held a series of senior leadership roles — from Development and Grants Associate to Chief Development and Operations Officer, and most recently, Chief Operations Officer.
Lambert joined the SSO at the start of 2022 after serving for nearly 20 years in an executive position at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, initially as Vice President of Guest Experience and Programming, and then as Vice President of Enshrinement Services & Community Engagement.
Lambert said, “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. 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.”
Lambert will receive the distinguished William Pynchon Award in October, largely for his role in resurrecting the Springfield Symphony and bringing dynamic new programming to the stage, building new and diverse connections in the community. Under Lambert’s leadership, two labor agreements with musicians were completed and an annual Juneteenth concert was added to the Symphony season.
In her previous roles with the SSO since 2022, Caisse-Roberts has played a pivotal role in driving the strategic growth and sustainability of the organization, overseeing the areas of development and grants, sponsorships, box office, office administration and marketing. She fosters a patron-centric culture within the organization, ensuring that the needs of the internal structure are balanced effectively.
In a statement, the SSO Board said of Lambert’s retirement and Caisse-Roberts’ elevation as new leader at the SSO, “We deeply appreciate Paul’s service to the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. When called upon in 2022 to serve in the, at-the-time, Interim Executive Director position, Paul had happily retired from the Basketball Hall of Fame. He joined the SSO at a time when a collective bargaining agreement had yet to be achieved, and the SSO, like other live performance organizations, was recovering from the Symphony Hall stage being dark during the COVID pandemic. He then took on the new role of President and CEO in February 2023. From the first days of his employment and throughout his tenure, Paul has poured himself into the work – building relationships with our incredible musicians, launching new programming and bringing innovation and new talent to our stage. He was instrumental in diversifying our programming, bringing many first-time attendees to the Symphony and to Symphony Hall, and launched our first-ever Juneteenth concert celebration, a free concert for the community that has become an annual tradition.
“With Heather assuming leadership of the organization, we have someone with experience with the Symphony. As Paul Lambert’s first hire at the SSO, Caisse-Roberts has since taken on a series of senior leadership roles — from Development and Grants Associate to Chief Development and Operations Officer, and most recently, Chief Operations Officer. Known for her energy, creativity, and collaborative spirit, she steps into this new chapter ready to lead with vision and purpose. As Creative Consultant, Lambert will support Caisse-Roberts and the SSO through the transition period. With an exciting new season ahead, the musicians, staff and leadership are united in their commitment to build on recent momentum and bring world-class symphonic music to both loyal and new audiences.”
Prior to the SSO, Caisse-Roberts focused the past decade of her career on fundraising for community nonprofits in Western Massachusetts, as Senior Director of Development at New England Public Media (NEPM) where she focused on overseeing the nonprofit media organization’s fundraising efforts, including grants, on-air fundraising campaigns, and its planned and major giving programs, contributing to the organization’s overall budget of $10 million.
Caisse-Roberts also spent years at American International College as Executive Director of Institutional Advancement. During her tenure at AIC, she was an engine for growth, strengthening and expanding the College’s alumni engagement program on a national scale. Her stewardship work with alumni yielded remarkable growth in engagement of the alumni base and landed one of the largest-ever single donations made to AIC. She also worked closely in supporting the grant director to secure Title III funding and developing scholarships funds to help support AIC students continue their education.
In addition to her work with the SSO, Caisse-Roberts also served as Development Director for the internationally-acclaimed Young@Heart Chorus, reflecting her ongoing passion for music and its power to connect communities.
The Springfield Symphony Orchestra is the largest Massachusetts symphony outside of Boston. It consists of over 65 musicians from the NE region of the United States and Canada, and holds many performances in a given season – as either the full orchestra or in ensemble formats. ■