Kennedy Center mourns principal bassoon, 52
mainDonald A. Shore, principal bassoonist of the Washington National Opera Orchestra for almost 30 years, has died at his home in Washington of brain cancer. He was 52. Placido Domingo, the opera’s former director, called him ‘a great artist’.
Obituary here.
photo (c) David Peiffer
Very sad. Thank you for sharing the obit. My condolences to the family and friends of Donald.
Wow, eerily reminiscent of my own father, who was Principal Bassoonist in the Hartford SO and succumbed to lung cancer at 56. RIP Mr. Shore, and condolences to all who loved him.
I had the privilege of meeting Don during the Bolshoi and Kirov ballet tours at the Kennedy Center in 1987 and 1989, respectively. As a former bassoonist myself, I was immediately struck by his playing. Magnificent sound, technique, musicianship. A supremely talented person and an all-round nice guy.