Nicholas (Nic) Orovich passed away October 29, 2025, after suffering severe injuries from a fall in his home. Nic was 72.
Nic was born in Mayville, and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in 1976. He remained a diehard Wisconsin Badgers fan, and became a shareholder of the Green Bay Packers. It was in Mayville High School that he took up the trombone because he knew they were in the front of marching bands. His passion for trombone and later euphonium was lifelong.
His career as a music professor and professional trombone player spanned decades. He retired from the University of New Hampshire in 2019, after forty years teaching trombone and low brass, and conducting the Wind Symphony. He also participated in the Summer Youth Music School programs at UNH.
Nic was principal trombone with the Portland (Maine) Symphony for forty-three years before retiring. He had played as well for Boston Philharmonic for many years, and in his retirement played trombone and euphonium for the Exeter Brass Band, Tuba Christmas, and Seacoast Wind Ensemble. He also took up the ukulele, and during the COVID lockdown, he posted videos of himself singing and playing as a way to entertain us all. Those videos are available on his YouTube channel.
Nic was also an avid cyclist, participating in countless fifty-mile-plus rides and occasionally century rides. He did two tours of Wisconsin in his late fifties and was riding well into his sixties before he became too ill from arthritis. He enjoyed life in Exeter, NH, traveling occasionally, visiting his friends at the local taverns, and taking occasional trips up to Portland, ME, to hang with old colleagues. He never missed a day of practicing trombone.
Nic leaves behind his wife, Jeremy, and two children, Olivia and Stephan, both of whom are musicians and involved in the arts.
As an organ donor, his gift saved a life. And as a lifelong music educator, his wish would be for donations to be made to local music programs to keep the arts alive.
