A Loss for Hudson

Gossips just received this press release from Hudson Hall. 

Hudson Hall at the historic Hudson Opera House Executive Director Tambra Dillon, who has led the organization through thirteen transformative years, has announced her plans to step down in the fall of 2025. A New York State's oldest surviving theater, built in 1855, Hudson Hall stands as an anchor institution for the region's cultural landscape and a catalyst for Hudson's revitalization. The institution has become an indispensable economic driver and community gathering space, contributing significantly to the area's creative economy through its performances, exhibitions, film screenings, and educational programs. Dillon has begun working with Hudson Hall's Board of Directors to facilitate a smooth transition and search for her successor. Hudson Hall has announced its annual fundraiser, The Proprietors Ball, will this year honor Dillon's leadership and success. The event is to take place on Saturday, June 14, 2025.

A tireless advocate for the arts, artists, historic preservation, and the City of Hudson, Dillon has been instrumental in shaping Hudson Hall into the thriving cultural hub it is today. Since joining what was then named Hudson Opera House in 2013, Dillon has guided the organization through significant milestones, including working alongside the organization's founding executive director, Gary Schiro, to oversee a $9.5 million restoration and reopening of the Hudson Hall's historic building in 2017, returning it to community use for the first time in fifty-five years. Over the ensuing eight years, Hudson Hall has grown its operations and tripled its capacity, and has significantly expanded its programming, strengthened community engagement, and established itself as a premier arts destination.

Under Dillon's leadership, Hudson Hall has flourished as a cultural cornerstone, hosting groundbreaking contemporary dance, theater, film, and music, while doubling its gallery space for visual art exhibitions. Dillon has strengthened Hudson Hall's commitment to helping artists develop new work through its residency program. Artists who benefited from Hudson Hall's support include Ntangou Badila, Maya Beiser, Dirty Projectors, ETHEL, Barbara Kilpatrick, Jeffrey Lependorf, Reginald Madison, Jodi Melnick, Bobby Previte, Ruckus, Stephen Petronio, and Adam Weinert. Dillon helped realize ambitious events such as TEDxHudson, the Merchants & Whalers series featuring Gare St. Lazare Ireland's one-man theatrical adaptation of Herman Melville's Moby Dick starring Irish actor Conor Lovett, and No Cowards in Our Band, a musical drama based on the life and work of Frederick Douglass. These programs have significantly grown Hudson Hall's audience and deepened its regional connections, establishing the venue as an essential incubator for artistic innovation.

During her tenure, Dillon launched and nurtured several key initiatives that have had a lasting impact. These include the Hudson Jazz Festival, now a citywide celebration drawing thousands of visitors annually; Hudson Hall's Workforce Development Program, which provides local youth with valuable career training in the arts; and the Movies on Mainstreet program, a year-round series designed to bring the community together through free and affordable screenings of arthouse films and repertory classics. Through free workshops for youth and partnerships and organizations such as Camphill Hudson Players, Harmony Project Hudson, and Operation Unite NY, Dillon has built on Hudson Hall's commitment to serving as an inclusive cultural space.

Faced with the shutdown of all live arts during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dillon spearheaded the 2020 Shared Streets Program in partnership with Future Hudson and the City of Hudson, providing essential support to local businesses and residents. Despite reduced revenue and increasing financial pressures, Dillon guided the organization through the darkest period of the pandemic, instituting initiatives like free timed-entry ticketing for gallery viewings, reduced capacity and live-streamed performances, offering "bubble" residencies for artists to continue developing work, and maintaining clear safety protocols to protect audiences, artists, and staff.

A crowning achievement of Dillon's legacy is her visionary effort to establish Hudson Hall as a premier opera destination and widen access to the artform through collaborations with renowned local director R. B. Schlather. Just months after reopening the historic performance hall, Hudson Hall produced Schlather's The Mother of Us All, based on the life of Susan B. Anthony, who spoke thrice at Hudson Hall calling for abolition and rallying the cry for women's suffrage. An ambitious opera cast entirely from the community, the production was named one of the best classical music performances of the year by the New York Times. The collaboration has continued with the acclaimed Handel on the Hudson series (Rodelinda, 2023; Giulio Cesare, April/May 2025), with the New York Times highlighting Hudson's growing potential to become a "Baroque opera destination."

"It has been a privilege and an honor to have played a role in Hudson Hall's restoration and metamorphosis into a thriving institution, supported by incredible artists, audiences, patrons, and a phenomenal board and staff," says Dillon. "I feel strongly that it's time for a new generation to step in and build upon what we--together as a community--have accomplished. I am proud to leave Hudson Hall with a balanced budget, a vibrant artistic presence, and a dedicated staff and Board. On a personal level, I look forward to spending more time with family and friends before exploring my next professional adventure."

Board President Paul Barrett added, "On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, we want to express our deepest gratitude to Tammy for her tireless dedication and remarkable leadership. Although we are saddened to see her go, her legacy remains with us and will continue to inspire us. Her impact on Hudson Hall and the entire Hudson community is immeasurable. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors and look forward to celebrating all that she has achieved at The Proprietors Ball on June 14."

The Board of Directors has formed a Search Committee to identify a new Executive Director to build upon Dillon's legacy and lead Hudson Hall as a vital cultural institution serving the City of Hudson and its surrounding communities.