[Trombone-l] Steven Witser, RIP

[Frank Darmiento]

Before he got the gig in Cleveland Steve was the principal with the Phoenix Symphony.  Everything said about him in Cleveland and LA parallels his tenure in Phoenix--great player, great guy.

Frank T. Darmiento
Scottsdale, Arizona
frank at darmiento.com
www.SackbutMusic.com
---------------------------
Frank Darmiento's latest jazz CD 'Sudden Impact' is available from Summit Records at:
http://www.summitrecords.com/product.tmpl?SKU=339


--- On Wed, 4/29/09, Stan Brager <sbrager at verizon.net> wrote:

> From: Stan Brager <sbrager at verizon.net>
> Subject: [Trombone-l] Steven Witser, RIP
> To: "trombone-l" <trombone-l at samford.edu>
> Date: Wednesday, April 29, 2009, 9:16 AM
> Today's Los Angeles Times reported
> the death of the principle trombonist of
> the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Steven Witser. Below is the
> text of his
> obituary:
> 
>  
> 
> Stan
> 
> Stan Brager
> 
> .................
> 
> Steven Witser dies at 48; L.A. Philharmonic's principal
> trombonist
> 
> Before joining the L.A. Philharmonic in 2007, Witser was
> assistant principal
> trombonist and acting principal trombonist of the Cleveland
> Orchestra.
> 
> >From A Times Staff Writer
> 
> 8:22 PM PDT, April 28, 2009
> 
> Steven Witser, principal trombonist of the Los Angeles
> Philharmonic, died of
> an apparent heart attack Monday night in Pasadena, the
> orchestra announced.
> He was 48.
> 
> "The shock of Steve's sudden and unexpected death has
> robbed us of one of
> our most beloved and respected musicians," Deborah Borda,
> president and
> chief executive of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, said in a
> statement. "He
> was not only a wonderful player, but a great friend and
> colleague and very
> active in the organization. He will be deeply missed."
> 
> Witser joined the Philharmonic as principal trombonist in
> September 2007.
> Before that he was assistant principal trombonist and
> acting principal
> trombonist of the Cleveland Orchestra.
> 
> A native of Oakland, Witser was born Aug. 22, 1960.
> 
> In an interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper
> some years ago,
> Witser said his mother wanted him to play an instrument but
> not trumpet,
> which his brother had already taken up. Witser said he
> thought of playing
> drums until the fourth grade, when he found himself with a
> trombone.
> 
> "Everyone picked up an instrument," he told the Plain
> Dealer. "Ignorance is
> bliss."
> 
> In 1981, Witser earned his bachelor of music degree and
> performer's
> certificate at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester,
> N.Y. That same
> year, he was a prizewinner in the Munich International Solo
> Competition. In
> 1988, he won second prize at the Geneva International
> Competition for
> Musical Performers.
> 
> Witser joined the Cleveland Orchestra in 1989. He also
> played with the
> Center City Brass Quintet and other ensembles.
> 
> He is survived by his wife, Marta Jasberg; his parents,
> Robert and Sharon
> Witser of Oakland, and a brother, Kenneth Witser.
> 
> The L.A. Philharmonic's May 30 concert at Walt Disney
> Concert Hall will be
> dedicated to his memory, and the orchestra will perform a
> short opening
> piece in his honor.
> 
> Funeral arrangements are pending.
> 
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