In Monday’s (8/6) Boston Globe (subscription required), Laurie D. Willis writes, “Donna Hieken already was the principal flutist of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra when Benjamin Zander became conductor. ‘Her love of music and her devotion to the group made her a good fit,’ he said. ‘She was easy to get along with, and her style of playing was pure, refined, perfect, and cool. She was a very conscientious musician.’ … Mrs. Hieken, who performed and taught for more than four decades and whose husband endowed a chair in her honor at New England Conservatory, died July 14 of complications of Alzheimer’s disease in the Belmont Manor nursing home in Belmont. Mrs. Hieken also performed in the Boston Civic Symphony. She was 81. … [Hieken] spent a year studying at New England Conservatory. From there she enrolled in Boston University, where in 1952 she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in music education, with a concentration on the flute. She also received a master’s in music from BU. … In addition to performing, Mrs. Hieken taught at the University of Rhode Island for about 10 years, and then privately for about 15 years.”
Posted August 6, 2012
