Diane Bishop was Principal Bassoon of the Orlando Philharmonic from 1993 to 2023. In February of 2023, Mrs. Bishop announced that she would step down as Principal Bassoon and move into the Second Bassoon chair beginning with the 2023-2024 season.

Originally from Bel Air, Maryland, she attended the prestigious Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, where she received a Bachelor of Music Degree with Distinction. She also attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst for graduate study before winning the position of Principal Bassoon with the Florida Symphony Orchestra in 1984. Her teachers include K. David Van Hoesen, Frank Morelli, David Carroll, and Brent Rickman.

In addition to performing with the OPO, she was a full-time staff member of the orchestra for 13 years, first as Box Office Manager and later as Director of Patron Services. Mrs. Bishop has also served multiple terms as a member of the Board of Directors of the OPO and is currently Co- Chair of the board’s Artistic Advisory Committee.

Mrs. Bishop has also performed with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, Naples Philharmonic, Florida Orchestra, the Heidelberg (Germany) Opera Festival Orchestra, and the Brecken