Peter Frajola

Associate Concertmaster

At this moment …

We would find Peter having some work done on his Beaverton house, a single-story ranch. "It's just one of the joys of home ownership," he sighs. "I'm getting ready to practice as soon as the workmen leave."

On the CD player …

For pleasure Peter usually tunes in to KBPS. Right now he's making an aural survey of the Oregon Symphony's recordings of Sibelius' Symphonies Nos. 2 and 7 and Shostakovich's Symphony No. 11. "I want to hear what our orchestra really sounds like from the microphone's perspective," Peter explains.

In the kitchen …

"I boil a mean pot of water," says Peter proudly. When it comes to cooking, Peter's wife Laurie is in charge. "One of my favorite dishes is her ravioli with fresh vegetables and an Alfredo sauce with chopped nuts; it's great."

On the music stand …

Like many violinists, Peter is always working on Bach, particularly the solo sonatas and partitas. "It's some of the greatest music ever written. You can play it for years and years and always find something new in it." Peter also works on a series of études by Jacob Dont. "I do my Dont," says Peter. "They're fun little exercises; not quite Paganini but more musical than the Kreutzer." As Associate Concertmaster, Peter also marks the bowing articulations in the violin parts for the concerts for which he is Concertmaster, including most of the Pops concerts.

And on the nightstand …

Heifetz As I Knew Him by Ayke Agus. "Former concertmaster Michael Foxman loaned it to me." Peter is also an avid reader of The Oregonian's editorial page. "Seeing how other folks think about issues and how they articulate their beliefs helps me figure out my own thinking on current issues of the day."

Before you left …

Peter would show off his Bisiach violin, a modern Italian violin from 1892. "It's a really pretty Guarneri model and has a great rich throaty Guarneri-type sound."