PRINCIPAL CHAIR memorial CAMPAIGN
Donna Nelson was the Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra principal cellist for over 2 decades. She was a selfless and caring musician who was a linchpin for music organizations across the region. On any given weekend, she could be found traveling to Ottumwa, Quincy, Burlington, Washington, or Mt. Pleasant to perform in concerts, funerals, chamber music performance recitals, weddings, and anything in between.
Donna passed away in April, 2023 after a long battle with cancer.
She would frequently come to a rehearsal directly from a chemotherapy treatment and all of us would marvel at her dedication and question “would we do the same or just give up”?
- Robert McConnell, Music Director & Conductor, SEISO
The Southeast Iowa Symphony is proud to honor her years of dedication to the organization and lifelong commitment to the advancement of music through a memorial principal chair. To donate, click the button button below or contact the Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra Executive Director, Jeffrey Phillips.
The Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductable.
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in memory of Donna Nelson
From Music Director & Conductor Robert McConnell
APRIL 7, 2023
I want to express my condolences to all of Donna Nelson's friends and family both within and outside of our musical communities. Life can occasionally be tumultuous, with highs and lows intertwined.
This week, long-time principal cellist Donna Nelson passed away after a long battle with cancer. She played her last gig with us on December 10th, playing through the pain of a developing tumor on her spine. I will always remember her performance of Benedictus with our concert master. We are all replaceable, but Donna presents a difficult task. It's difficult for outsiders to appreciate how we instrumentalists are so dependent on each other in order to perform works we want to perform. Donna auditioned for me in a side room at the Brighton Locker in I think 1999? I still remember it and we would laugh about it. She has been our principal since then even though she frequently disagreed with tempos and interpretations and would purse her lips and shake her head.
She was selfless and caring. How many cellists are willing to be the primary go-to player in a rural area? She would drive to Ottumwa, Quincy, Burlington, Washington, and Mt. Pleasant to play a critical role in making these concerts possible. She and Charlene King played countless side chamber gigs for weddings, funerals, recitals. She would frequently come to a rehearsal directly from a chemotherapy treatment and all of us would marvel at her dedication and question “would we do the same or just give up”?
I’m extremely grateful for her presence in our collective lives.
