In Memoriam: Jane Little

Double bassist Jane Little, who was the longest tenured orchestra member in the world, passed away on May 14th doing what she loved: playing bass. In a bittersweet twist of fate, the 87-year-old collapsed during an encore performance with the Atlanta Symphony during the song, “There’s No Business Like Show Business.”

Little served in the orchestra for over seven decades. “The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra was truly blessed to have Jane as part of our family for the past 71 years and we all miss her passion, vitality, spirit and incredible talent,” the ASO wrote on Facebook. “Jane was a 1945 charter member of the original Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, the forerunner of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. She joined after two years of studying bass in high school at only 16-years-old. Jane was married to Atlanta Symphony Principal Flutist, Warren Little for 41 years and has performed under all four of the ensemble’s music directors – Henry Sopkin, Robert Shaw, Yoel Levi and Robert Spano, as well as guest conductors, including Igor Stravinsky, Aaron Copland, Pierre Monteux, Leopold Stokowski, Sir John Barbirolli and James Levine.”

Little was named the longest tenured orchestra member in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records in February.

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Jane Little.