Death of an interactive bassoonist

The  International Double Reed Society forum has posted news of the death of Svetoslav Slavchev, a well-known Bulgarian bassoonist with a busy internet profile. He was principal bassoon of the State Opera Varna for a decade and pursued a successful career with his own trio.

James Spearing writes from Tallahassee, Florida:

Mr. Slavchev not only was an excellent bassoonist who performed often across Eastern Europe but also was very active on the internet; he had a large social media presence on Facebook and contributed a significant number of pieces of music to the Russian bassoon sheet music library website many of which I have used in auditions and to great success. Without his generosity in uploading so many works, many of which I would never have heard if not for him, I would not have had the opportunities I have now as a young adult bassoonist.

He was a long time member of the International Double Reed Society and regularly brought a smile to his readers with a jovial, lighthearted and very frank sense of humor. It is painful and unexpected to see the news, and I hope that others can chime in as well for the efforts of Mr.  Slavchev, which have undoubtedly helped many, including me many thousands of miles away, in our musical journeys.