The Schumann Duo
Dearly missed in all lives
David Weiss and Alpha Hockett Walker The Schumann Duo in Second Life, who are husband and wife, began performing together as a duo in 1982 — David on oboe, English horn, and musical saw and Alpha on piano and electronic keyboard. The Schumann Duo was active in Second Life from 2005-2012. David Weiss passed away in 2014.
Alpha performed as an oboist with the L.A. Philharmonic during each of the 1991 through 1997 Hollywood Bowl seasons, and under Esa-Pekka Salonen, she played on tours to Paris, New York, Washington D.C., and at home at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. She has been featured several times (as pianist) on Philharmonic Chamber Music Society Concerts.
David, who had recently retired as principal oboe of the Los Angeles Philharmonic (1973-2003), before beginning to explore Second Life, previously held first chair posts with the Metropolitan Opera National Company, the Pittsburgh Symphony, National Symphony, and the West Point Military Academy Band. As an oboe soloist, he has played at New York’s Caramoor Festival, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Recital Hall, and at the Los Angeles Music Center. His first of many solo performances with the Philharmonic was in 1962 when he was fifteen years old. 
Since 1982, David Weiss has gained notoriety for his performances on the musical saw (a hardware-store variety Stanley Handyman). July 1985 marked his Hollywood Bowl debut on the musical saw in a work specially commissioned for him by the Philharmonic. It also marked the release of his album “Virtuoso Saw” which has received international critical acclaim and distribution. To hear examples of David’s saw playing, click here! David has appeared on the Tonight show, Prairie Home Companion, at Disneyland, on television commercials, and movies – most recently in the Grammy Award winning “O Brother Where Art Thou?” David and Alpha form the chamber duo known as DnA.
In Second Life they performed several concerts at Music Island in 2007-2011, Alpha (Clarissima) had her own lovely venue and we collaborated to co-host events.