Wichita Symphony Honors Retiring Musicians: Seven Musicians Represent 316 Years of Service

NEWS RELEASE

Wichita Symphony Orchestra

May 9, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Don Reinhold
CEO
Wichita Symphony
dreinhold@wso.org
(316) 267-5259, ext. 106

WICHITA SYMPHONY HONORS RETIRING MUSICIANS

Seven Musicians Represent 316 Years of Service

WICHITA, KS – At its final concert of the 2021 – 2022 season in April, the Wichita Symphony recognized seven musicians who announced their retirement from the Symphony during the past three seasons. Due to COVID-19 concert cancellations in April 2020 and 2021, recognition of recent retirees had been delayed until April 2022.

Collectively, the group of musicians represents 316 years of service to the Wichita Symphony, and five served over fifty years.

Each musician received a framed print commissioned for the Symphony’s 75^th anniversary with their name and years of service on an attached plaque. They also received lifetime season tickets to the Wichita Symphony’s Masterworks series.

Honored musicians were violinists Jane Ray (59 years of service), Nancy Luttrell (57 years of service), Cheryl Myer (52 years of service), Susan Linnebur (50 years of service), Suzanne Schiffel (33 years of service), double-bassist Don Jacobsen (50 years of service), and principal oboist Andréa Banke (15 years of service).

Music Director Daniel Hege commented, “Musician tenures of this length are increasingly rare and remarkable. These long-serving musicians represent an extraordinary amount of institutional memory of concerts dating back to the early years of the Wichita Symphony. We will miss them and extend our hearty congratulations.”

Founded in 1945, the Wichita Symphony Orchestra is the largest professional symphony in the State of Kansas. Most of the approximately seventy-five musicians live in the Wichita area, and about a dozen travel from nearby cities like Kansas City, Lawrence, or Tulsa to complete the roster. Daniel Hege is in his twelfth season as Music Director and Conductor. The Symphony produces about fifteen weeks of concerts each season, including Masterworks, Pops, Young People’s Concerts, and Community Concerts. Masterwork Concerts are broadcast on Radio Kansas. The Symphony broadened its reach and service with outdoor performances and special digital projects during the pandemic. The Symphony also established new collaborations with PBS Kansas Television, Botanica – the Wichita Gardens, Old Cowtown Museum, and Wichita Park and Recreation.

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