Conductor Breaks Back On Opening Night

An orchestra conductor from Destin is recovering after he falls 14 feet and breaks his back on the opening night of an opera he wrote for the Pensacola Opera.

By: Christian Stapleton | WKRG-TV
Published: September 28, 2009

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A Panhandle conductor is recovering after
falling 14 feet into an orchestra pit on the opening night of an
opera he had written.
David Ott fell Friday after the debut of, "The Widow's
Lantern," a full-length, original piece written for the Pensacola
Opera. He broke nine vertebrae, dislocated his shoulder and
possibly broke an ankle.
The accident happened when the lights were off and Ott tried to
retrieve his music, not realizing the Pensacola Orchestra pit had
been raised to stage level. He says he landed flat on his back on
the concrete basement below and that he is lucky his injuries were
not more severe.
He is recovering at his Destin home Monday and hopes to perform
again soon.