January 10, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Portland, Ore. … Four centuries of favorite symphonic works from Europe are featured in an Oregon Symphony concert led by Associate Conductor Norman Leyden, which also features oboist Karen Wagner making her Symphony solo debut with Telemann’s Oboe Concerto in E minor on Sunday, Feb. 9 at 3 p.m. in the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.
The concert opens with Haydn’s Symphony No. 96 in D major, “Miracle,” one of the composer’s famous “London” symphonies. A contemporary critic of the time, writing for the Morning Chronicle, described this symphony as “a sublime composition—as much from the rich variety of the subject as the grandeur with which it is managed.” The first half closes with Wagner’s performance of the Oboe Concerto in E minor by Telemann, which she admits is not as well known as his more famous F minor oboe concerto. “I heard my teacher Allan Vogel play the E minor at a music festival and I fell in love with it; I like works in minor keys,” she explained. “I wanted to introduce this beautiful, less-known work to the audience. It’s very melodic and lyrical, with contrasting movements. E minor is also a key that is particularly well-suited for the oboe to play.” After intermission Leyden leads the Symphony in one of Johann Strauss’s best-known waltzes, the “Emperor Waltz,” and the concert concludes with a suite from Stravinsky’s exotic and passionate ballet, “Firebird,” which the composer put together from his larger complete work in 1919.
This is Wagner’s solo debut with the Symphony; she has been a member of the orchestra since 1999 and Second Oboe for the past two years. She is also Principal Oboe with the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in California, the Ernest Bloch Festival on the Oregon coast, and the Cascade Music Festival in Bend. Wagner has also made guest appearances with Third Angle New Music Ensemble in Portland.
The concert is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 9 at 3 p.m. in the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Tickets are $22 for adults, $13 for students and seniors and may be purchased at the Oregon Symphony Ticket Office (923 S.W. Washington), Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or charged by phone at 503-228-1353 or (800) 228-7343. Tickets also may be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets (530-790-ARTS) or through Ticketmaster Online, via the Symphony’s Web site at www.orsymphony.org. Service fees may apply.
A native of Buffalo, New York, Karen Wagner joined the Oregon Symphony as Second Oboe in 1999 and serves as assistant principal for the section. She began her musical studies as a Suzuki pianist. After three years of unsuccessful prodding, Karen’s mother gave up on trying to make her practice. It was then that she discovered the oboe.
Following high school, Karen stayed in the Buffalo area to attend the State University of New York at Buffalo under the tutelage of her already long-time teacher Ronald Richards. During this time Karen was also fortunate to work with John deLancie as his fellowship student at the Aspen Music Festival from 1990-1995. Karen went on to attend the University of Southern California as a masters’ student of Allan Vogel. While in Los Angeles, Karen was Principal Oboist of the Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra for two seasons.
After completing two years at USC, she played for one season with the Louisville Orchestra. Karen spent the next three years in Miami Beach as a member of the New World Symphony under the direction of Michael Tilson-Thomas. While at the NWS, Karen had many opportunities to coach and have lessons with several of our country’s principal oboists, including John Mack and Elaine Douvas. She was fortunate to be a member of the NWS through its 10th anniversary season, during which the orchestra embarked on a European tour, beginning in New York’s Avery Fisher Hall and continuing to some of Europe’s greatest concert halls.
During her time with the New World Symphony, Karen was a founding member of the Metropolis Winds, a woodwind quintet that concertized regularly and gave a recital on the Young Artists Series at Boston’s Gardiner Museum. The recital coincided with a live broadcast on Boston’s classical radio station WGBH. As a soloist, Karen has appeared with the SUNY at Buffalo Civic Symphony, the Deutsches Kammer Orchester in Berlin and the Amherst Symphony (in Buffalo).
Since her arrival in Portland, Karen has enjoyed playing chamber music with other musicians in the area as well as playing Principal Oboe at the Ernest Bloch Festival on the coast and the Cascade Music Festival in Bend. She was recently appointed Principal Oboist of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music. This is Karen’s first solo appearance with the Oregon Symphony.