Donald Hunsberger Eastman school of music conductor and former Marine Band member has died
What was Donald Hunsberger cause of death? Learn more about Donald Hunsberger obituary and death
Donald Hunsberger Death – Donald Hunsberger, an American conductor and musical ensemble passed away on Sunday, November 5, 2023. From 1965 until 2002, he led the Eastman Wind Ensemble as its conductor. In addition, he was an Eastman School of Music conducting professor. thought to have played a significant role in the development of the contemporary wind ensemble during the twentieth century.
Who was Donald Hunsberger?
On August 2, 1932, Donald Hunsberger was born in Souderton, Pennsylvania. He was named coordinator of the Instrumental Ensemble Program and conductor of the Eastman Symphony Band in 1962. Frederick Fennell had founded the Eastman Wind Ensemble, and Hunsberger was named conductor in 1965 after Clyde Roller left.
Hunsberger made numerous recordings while he was with the Eastman Wind Ensemble, some of which featured trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. Hunsberger contributed to the advancement of the wind ensemble concept by working as a conductor, writer, and recording artist. These ideas included “specified instrumentation, orchestral concept of performance, single performer approach [and] development of individual tone colors.”
About Donald Hunsberger
Hunsberger presided over the College Band Directors National Association as its president from 1985 to 1987. Hunsberger has also composed orchestral transcriptions for concert bands. These include the Festive Overture by Shostakovich, the Colas Breugnon Overture by Kabalevsky, the Echoes of the 1860s by Grafulla, the Ballet Suite from Spartacus by Khachaturian, and the Star Wars Trilogy by John Williams.
Hunsberger oversaw the Remington Warm-Up Series as well. Hunsberger co-wrote The Art of Conducting, a book with Roy Ernst, and penned numerous more articles as well as a newsletter on wind ensemble music for MCA Music. He co-edited The Wind Ensemble and Its Repertoire: Essays on the Fortieth Anniversary of the Eastman Wind Ensemble in 1994 with Frank J. Cipolla.
Hunsberger has recently conducted concerts with renowned symphony orchestras and recorded music for silent films. Hunsberger led the Eastman Wind Ensemble as its emeritus conductor.
The family will release Donald Hunsberger’s obituary and funeral arrangements at a later date.
News from SNBC13.com
