Paul Chambers has resigned as executive director of the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, effective immediately, the orchestra announced Tuesday.

In a prepared statement, Chambers blamed "differences between myself and the artistic membership of the orchestra," adding, "It would be in the best interest of the organization if I stepped aside."

Chambers arrived in 2003 from Savannah, Ga., where he was the last director of the Savannah Symphony Orchestra, which folded.

RSO board president Jay Irons would not comment on Chambers' departure. He said day-to-day operations will be handled by orchestra manager Brian Black as they conduct a search for Chambers' replacement.

Symphony music director David Wiley also declined to comment.

On Chambers' watch, donations grew and musicians' pay increased, said an RSO news release. The RSO began free after-school string lessons in Roanoke County schools and became the official orchestra of Opera Roanoke. The RSO also sold out three concerts this year.

But Chambers faced money problems almost from the day he arrived. The orchestra ran $480,000 in deficits over the previous two seasons, and reduced its concert offerings this year to cut costs.

At the same time, relations have soured between Chambers and the RSO's musicians, who questioned the cutting of concerts and Chambers' handling of fiscal matters -- in particular, his contracting for marketing services from his wife.

"If it wasn't a conflict of interest, at least it could be," said Wallace Easter, the orchestra's principal hornist. Chambers also tried to lay off the RSO's ticket sales manager, Rodney Overstreet, to cover a funding shortfall, until orchestra members chipped in from their concert wages to save his job. Overstreet is a longtime RSO horn player.

"There wasn't any aspect of Paul's tenure that the musicians felt really good about, except for his relationship with the board," Easter said. "It's the view of a lot of people that the orchestra was headed for real hard times if he was to remain."

"They're entitled to their opinion," Chambers said. He noted marketing costs had dropped from $250,000 to $170,000 annually during his tenure, while the RSO's media exposure had increased. "I thought that we had done a lot of good things. Time will tell who was right."