The double bassist died on 20 June 2026 and was a member of the BBC Symphony Orchestra since 2020
The BBC Symphony Orchestra has published a tribute acknowledging the recent death of its double bassist, Elen (Herng-Yu) Pan, who died on 20 June 2026.
’We are deeply saddened by the recent death of Elen Pan, a much-loved and highly valued member of the BBC Symphony Orchestra,’ the ensemble said on social media.
’In the words of her friends and colleagues in the double bass section:
“Elen was an incredibly talented bass player who was a joy to have in our section.”
“Her positivity and warmth were felt by everyone who met her.”
“Wherever we travelled on tour around the world, Elen would already know friends there!”
“She was our much-loved ray of sunshine.”’
The orchestra dedicated its concert on 22 July to Pan’s memory.
Pan was a French double bassist originally from Taiwan. She began studying piano at the age of four and started double bass at the age of ten.
She was a graduate of the Paris Conservatory and the Music University in Vienna. From 2012, she played with French orchestras, including Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Orchestre National de France, Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, Ensemble Intercontemporain, ensemble 2e2m, among others.
From 2013 to 2015, she was the solo double bass in the Paris Lauréat Conservatory Orchestra.
She took up a role as professor of double bass at the Central Conservatory of Beijing in 2018. In 2020, she assumed the role of tutti double bass with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
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