Player Portrait

Stephen Price

Viola

First season with the Oregon Symphony:

1972-1973

Most influential teacher(s):

Glenn Reeves, then principal viola with the Symphony, was my first music teacher at Alameda. Eugene Kaza, also a Symphony musician and my high school teacher at Grant, encouraged me to attend Oberlin Conservatory. At Oberlin, I studied with William Berman, who later moved to Portland and played as an extra with the Oregon Symphony.

Earliest musical memory:

Giving my legs a workout on the player piano at our house.

"I first knew I would make music my career when ... "

I won my audition and joined the Oregon Symphony.

"Other than performing music, I've always thought it might be fun to be a ... "

Precision machinist. Ever since growing up in a hardware store, I’ve liked working with metal. Locksmith work was my favorite part of working at my dad’s store (which was located where Rose Tower now stands).

Favorite composer and/or period?

Probably Bartok, although Brahms’ 4th is my favorite symphony. I especially like American music of the 20th century with its mother lode of popular tunes.

What does this photograph say about your life?

Right now, we own five cars and two trailers. I like doing the restoration work on each of them. But we have to reduce our inventory, so does anyone out there want to buy a ’67 Lincoln convertible or a 1948 J.C. Higgins tent trailer?

What do you enjoy most about performing?

Playing fiddle tunes for family and friends. My fiddle (violin) was given to me by a friend of my father and it even goes camping with us.

Other than playing great music, what do you see as the Symphony's most important role?

As musicians, our role is to entertain, but as modern musicians our role is also to teach our future audiences and to lead our community to the musical future.

What is your favorite part of being a member of the Oregon Symphony?

Playing great music and bringing great artists to enthusiastic audiences.

Player Portrait