US Orch mourns ex-principal cellist
mainA message from Milwaukee:
Our former principal cellist, Ron Shawger, died Sunday evening. Ron came to Milwaukee in 1988 from the Dallas Symphony. He was from Seattle and was a student of Leonard Rose at Juilliard. He left the MSO in the mid 1990s due to multiple sclerosis. His wife Laurie Shawger became a member of the MSO second violin section a couple of years later and still plays in the orchestra.
Ron was principal cellist in my first year in the Seattle Youth Symphony, in 1979. I didn’t know him personally but he was a terrific player. You never know from a youth orchestra who will make it in the music world, but it was good to see he made it to two excellent orchestras before having his career and now his life cut short by MS. My condolences to his friends and loved ones.
Ditto to what Macrov said. A good life but too short.
He was a special talent and very fine musician. I will always treasure memories of Ron’s rich singing tone when I toured with the MS playing Mozart K467 and Brahms 1st piano concerti in the 90’s. Blessings to his family.