Hugh Long speaks at the League of American Orchestras’ 2017 National Conference in Nashville. Photo Credit: Alan Poizner
Hugh Long, a champion of orchestras and a member of the Boards of Directors of the League of American Orchestras and the Louisiana Philharmonic, died on March 2, 2022, in a snowmobile accident in Yellowstone National Park. He was 82. His service to the League, to the Louisiana Philharmonic, and to the cause of orchestral music was exemplary.
Long was elected to the League’s Board of Directors in June 2010 and served three terms; he would have begun his fourth term in June 2022. Highly active on the League’s board, he served as chairman of the Program Committee (previously the Knowledge, Learning, and Leadership Committee) and was a member of the Executive, Human Resources, Audit, Investment, Finance, and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion committees. “Hugh Long was a treasured member of the League’s board,” said League President and CEO Simon Woods. “He was a gracious and insightful presence, and he was deeply committed to the League’s mission and to the whole orchestral field. He was a great friend to many other League board members, and was a tireless supporter of the League’s staff. We thank him for everything he did for us and send deepest condolences to his family and to everyone at the Louisiana Philharmonic.”
Music played a major role in Long’s life, and he served as a trustee and president of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra’s Board of Directors. In a statement, Anwar Nasir, executive director of the Louisiana Philharmonic, commented, “The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra is deeply sorry to announce the passing of Dr. Hugh Long, a long-time board member, colleague, mentor, advocate, and friend. In addition to serving on the boards of the LPO and the League of American Orchestras, Hugh was a long-time professor of health policy and management, and a renowned health policy and finance scholar at Tulane University…. Hugh was so giving of his time as our longest-serving board president, from 2001 to 2016, and as treasurer for an additional five years. Whether sharing his keen sense of strategy, financial and governance acumen, or passion for a good concert, Hugh could always be counted on as a leader, a mentor, a teacher, and a friend.”
Long is survived by his wife, Susan Krinsky; a son, Benjamin Alan Long; a daughter, Kira Nicole Long; a sister, Amanya Wasserman; and three grandchildren.
