Musical Legacy

Mark Eubanks / Karen Wagner

Bassoon / Oboe

Mark Eubanks, the Oregon Symphony's Principal Bassoon, has lived and taught in Portland for many years. He hadn't been teaching 17-year-old David Richmond long, though, when David asked if Mark could recommend an oboe teacher for his twin, Emily. Eubanks didn't hesitate to recommend his orchestra neighbor, Second Oboe Karen Wagner, even though she had never taught before.

The results were serendipitous. "Emily is a fantastic kid," Karen says. "She's so talented and outgoing and ambitious and hardworking-it's a very dreamy thing to have her for a student. And she's a also a very talented composer." Emily is equally enthusiastic. "I am privileged to be able to work with such an amazing person and oboist. Karen has watched me grow up as a musician, and she has supported me at every step. She is one of the most influential people in my life."

"They're both First Chair for the Portland Youth Philharmonic, which is pretty significant for high school students," Eubanks says. "I also think it's impressive that David is a 4.0 student and the high school state champion bassoon player. It's an instrument that has many layers of difficulty for a young player," he explains. "Because of the double reed you're constantly creating a new reed, and the fingering is very cumbersome and antiquated." Eubanks ought to know: a lifelong Northwesterner, he joined the Tacoma Symphony when he was 15. Of his teaching, David says, "Mark possesses an amazing ability to analyze the technical aspects of bassoon playing. As a result, his explanations are exceptionally coherent and easy to follow. His analytical ability extends to the music itself; combined with his wealth of musical insights, he's able to teach me how to express myself through the bassoon. In other words: Mark transcends his bassoon. This makes him a phenomenal teacher."

As important as their teachers are, Karen thinks that David and Emily's relationship, as siblings and twins, is also invaluable for their music. "They're both so supportive, but competitive, too. They really help each other along."

Eubanks, who has lived in Portland for more than 20 years, is deeply involved in the community in other ways, too. In addition to his work as a teacher, in the Symphony, and as a regular performer with Chamber Music Northwest, Mark leads the Bassoon Brothers, a locally famous ensemble that performs in places such as the BridgePort Brewery and local schools, as well as in less conventional venues such as the Pendleton prison and a Klamath retirement home. "I always try to mix in some teaching with these performances," he says. "I have a story that I tell people, about how the sounds of the reed instruments were created by the wind blowing over the reed plants in the marshes." He also grows his own reed cane, though he has come to the conclusion that Portland is a "marginal" place for this.

Karen, who grew up in Buffalo and came here from the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, had never been to Oregon until her interview, but she says, "I love it here. I love to be outdoors and to hike, and I think this is the greatest place for that. What has most surprised me, though, is that I also love teaching, even though I always thought I wouldn't want to do it. With a student like Emily, I learn so much; I remind myself of things. It's a great tool in my own development as a musician."

For information on Oregon Symphony Education and Community Programs, please call 503-228-4294 or e-mail educate@orsymphony.org.

Musical Legacy