New World Symphony (NWS) president and CEO Howard Herring has announced his retirement. Herring led the NWS for 25 years, and oversaw the building of the $167 million New World Center and the completion of a $150 million endowment campaign. The Knight New Media Center, NWS Media, and new concert formats were launched during his tenure.
Member Huifang Chen has received the 2026 Super Teacher award from the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Chen, a members since 1994 and a former violinist with the Florida Philharmonic, is currently the conductor of the Greater Miami Youth Symphony.
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Netflix has backed out of its $83 billion bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. Warner Bros. Discovery will instead be acquired by rival Paramount Skydance for $111 billion. Netflix stated that the deal, which would include HBO and the Warner Bros. movie studio, was no longer financially viable. Paramount, run by David Ellison, recently acquired CBS.
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Out of the ashes of the Southwest Florida Symphony has arisen the Fort Myers Philharmonic. The Southwest Florida Symphony closed at the end of the 2024-25 season with little notice to musicians or patrons, after serving the community for 64 years. The Fort Myers Philharmonic will be led by board chairperson Carol Robinson, who had served many years on the board of the Southwest Florida Symphony and was a treasured friend and supporter of the musicians. Former Southwest Florida Symphony music director Paul Nadler will serve as music director of the new orchestra, and Christopher Confessore will serve as principal pops conductor. Additionally, the Southwest Florida Symphony Endowment Foundation board has voted to provide financial assistance to the new orchestra. The first concert will take place on September 11, 2026 and feature Barber’s Adagio for Strings and Mozart’s Requiem.