Trombone
Greg Scholl has played trombone in Orchestra Nova Northwest since 1996; he became principal trombone in 2000. He is also principal trombone in the Vancouver and Newport symphonies, and plays locally in the Portland Brass Quintet and the Portland Festival Symphony. He has performed with the Oregon Ballet Theatre, the Oregon Symphony, the Portland Opera, the Salem Chamber Orchestra, the Portland Chamber Orchestra, the Portland Symphonic Choir, the Willamette Master Chorus, and the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus, as well as the Oregon Repertory Singers and the Portland Symphonic Choir. Greg was formerly second trombone in the Austin Lyric Opera, and is currently the trombone and low brass instructor at Pacific University.
He obtained a trombone performance degree at the University of Texas at Austin, where he studied with Donald Knaub. Prior to that he studied with Peter Kline and David Brown in San Antonio, TX. Greg plays in the Portland modern jazz duo Dos Hermanos de Hale Bopp. Greg also plays guitar and trombone in a variety of styles with local bands and performers, including the Rhythm Dogs, Goombahttsi, and Elvis Presley Tribute Artist Justin Shandor.
After rejecting the millions of dollars people offered him to play the trombone, Greg obtained a law degree in 1995 from Lewis & Clark Northwestern School of Law. During most business days he can be found practicing law as the director of the capital case team at the Metropolitan Public Defender. He enjoys spending time with his family and dogs, reading, camping and hiking, collecting things like Conan the Barbarian comic books, LP records, and concert recordings of the Grateful Dead, and being married to incredible principal bassoonist Margaret McShea.
The Trombone Section is sponsored by Mardy & Hank Stevens.
John grew up in Hillsboro, and is an active freelance musician on the west coast. He took private lessons locally, and played with the Portland Youth Philharmonic in middle and high schools. John is second trombone with Orchestra Nova Northwest, and plays regularly with Vancouver Symphony, Newport Symphony, and other ensembles around town, as well as occasional appearances with the Portland Opera and the Portland Festival Orchestra. John teaches privately in the Portland-Metro area. He attended Portland State University and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he received a degree in Music Performance. He was a member of the Marin Symphony, and regular substitute with the Dallas Wind Symphony, Texas Wind Symphony, Garland Symphony, and a founding member of the trombone quartet Slide Handlers while living in Dallas, Texas. John loves the outdoors, movies, and listening to all types of music. He has been married to his amazing wife Karen for over 30 years and loves raising their daughter.
Story about how I came to play trombone:
As a kid, I did not have the hand strength and dexterity needed to play many instruments, and my mom knew this. A few months before instrument selection in elementary school, she started playing lots of classical music with strong trombone parts; Wagner, Mahler, Respighi, Shostakovich, brass quintets, etc. This had the desired effect, as when I was choosing, I asked, “What was that instrument in that Mahler thing?” When I chose trombone, my mother breathed a sigh of relief knowing it was something I could play and stick with. Over 45 years later, I’m still with it, and love to play with ONN and our wonderful low brass section of Greg Scholl, John Ohnstad, and James Kuzmic. Being able to play this amazing music with friends, and under the fabulous leadership of Steven Byess, is both a privilege and a pleasure.
The Trombone Section is sponsored by Mardy & Hank Stevens.
John is the Principal Bass Trombonist of Orchestra Nova Northwest, Oregon Coast Music Festival, Siletz Bay Music Festival, Big Horn Brass, Portland Chamber Orchestra, Art Abrams Swing Machine Big Band, and the King Machine . John is a Voigt Brass Artist and performs on the Voigt J-475 Contrabass Trombone.
John has performed with the Oregon Symphony, the Eugene Symphony, the Vancouver (WA) Symphony, the Newport Symphony, the Oregon Ballet, Portland Opera, Andrea Bocelli, the Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass, the Oregon Bach Festival and the Mt. Angel Abbey Bach Festival.
John’s chair is sponsored by Col. Mary J. Mayer, USAF (Ret).
The Trombone Section is sponsored by Mardy & Hank Stevens.