K. David Van Hoesen's lengthy tenure with Lake Placid Sinfonietta

K. David Van Hoesen

Cultural commentator Norman Lebrecht reported on his blog that legendary bassoonist K.David Van Hoesen just retired from playing in the Lake Placid Sinfonietta.  Mr. Van Hoesen (fondly called "KD" by his students) is professor emeritus of bassoon at the Eastman School of Music and former principal bassoon of the Rochester Philharmonic.  His lifelong affiliation with the Lake Placid Sinfonietta began in 1947.

Mr. Van Hoesen's students populate the bassoon sections of orchestras nationwide, including but not limited to the New York Philharmonic, The Cleveland Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, the National Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony, the Cincinnati Symphony, the Houston Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony, the Utah Symphony, the Honolulu Symphony, the Orlando Symphony, the Columbus Symphony, the Chautauqua Symphony.  His students pass along his wisdom to their private students and to their bassoon students at Juilliard, Oberlin, the Cleveland Institute, the New England Conservatory, the San Fransisco Conservatory.

As a bit of a tribute to KD, I've pasted below a performance of KD's former student Stephen Paulson (principal bassoon of the San Fransisco Symphony) performing Mozart Adagio K. 261 transcribed for bassoon and piano by K. David Van Hoesen:



Undoubtedly, Mr.Van Hoesen will find plenty of ways to keep busy during this new phase of his retirement.  We wish him the very best.


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