Brassy Christmas

No bio available.

No bio available.

The French Horn Section is sponsored by Drs. Karen & Cliff Deveney, & the OSHU Department of Surgery

Doug Riggs’ chair is sponsored by Carole & Wendell Cook/Nancy’s Flowers

Trumpeter James Smock has enjoyed a varied career playing for symphony orchestras, Elvis tribute artists, chamber ensembles, and rodeo bands. Since 2010 Mr. Smock has been the principal trumpet of the Portland Chamber Orchestra, with concert highlights including “Frankenstein!” (H.K. Gruber) and “The Diary of Anne Frank” (Grigory Frid). James is also an audience favorite at the PCO’s annual performance of Handel’s Messiah.

Mr. Smock has toured internationally with the acclaimed, award winning Elvis tribute artist Justin Shandor, and can also be heard serenading oxen and wild horses every year at the Happy Canyon Indian Pageant and Wild West Show at the famous Pendleton Round-Up. He’s played with the Boise Philharmonic, the Des Moines Metro Opera, the Oregon Symphony, the Chicago and Washington chamber orchestras, and the Britt Festival Orchestra.

James lives outside Longview, Washington with his beloved wife Rebekah and the savage feline Zuul. He has been principal trumpet of Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra since 2018.

The Trumpet Section is sponsored by The Walker Family Foundation

Joe Klause received his Bachelor’s Degree in Trumpet Performance from the New England Conservatory in Boston after having graduated from the Pre-College Program at Juilliard in New York. At the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, he continued his studies receiving a Master’s Degree in Dalcroze Eurhythmics (the study of music through movement) and an Artist Diploma in Chamber Music (with the Redline Brass Quintet, of which he is a founding member). After his time at music school, Joe put his skills to good use and built an ice cream sandwich business, Peace Pie, which now has five stores in three states up and down the East Coast. Feeling satisfied that he scooped enough ice cream, Joe moved to Oregon in 2017 to follow his passion for music.

Aside from performing with Portland Columbia Symphony, Joe is a regular performer with the Eugene Symphony, Portland Chamber Orchestra, the Astoria Music Festival, and the Sun River Music festival. He is a member of the Rose City Brass Quintet, Rose City Brass Trio, and the Portlandia Brass Ensemble. He also performs with many other local orchestras, musicals, wind ensembles and festivals in and around the Pacific Northwest Aside from an extensive private studio, Joe teaches at the Community Music Center of Portland and was a Teaching Artist at the BRAVO youth orchestra program. He gives regular clinics at nine different Portland Metro area high schools, middle schools, colleges, and youth orchestras. Joe is an endorsed Conn Selmer Bach artist.

The Trumpet Section is sponsored by The Walker Family Foundation

Jason is a proud member of Portland Columbia Symphony’s trumpet section. Also second trumpet in the Portland Choir Orchestra, Jason is an active freelance musician, and has performed with the Newport and Vancouver (WA) symphonies, as well as Symphony Tacoma. He has performed as a soloist with the Assisi Performing Arts Festival in Assisi, Italy, and can be heard on the popular children’s album Just Be You (by In A World Music Kids) on the album’s title track, “I’m Me.”  He has also done several other recordings for In A World , including “The Zombie Puppet Parade” and “Día de los Muertos.”

Jason received his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in Trumpet Performance from the University of Northern Colorado, and has studied primarily with Bill Pfund and Dr. Robert Murray. Originally from Colorado, Jason moved to the Portland area for a position at the Monette trumpet company, where he is the Operations Manager.

When not playing the trumpet, Jason can usually be found on the golf course and is the 2019 Club Champion at Camas Meadows. He also enjoys sampling the wines of the Pacific Northwest with his wife Nicole (bassoonist and contrabassoonist with PCSO).

The Trumpet Section is sponsored by The Walker Family Foundation

Greg Scholl has played trombone in Portland Columbia Symphony 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 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, in memory of Dr. Milton L. Stevens, Jr.

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 the Portland Columbia Symphony, 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, Schostakovich, 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 PCSO 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, in memory of Dr. Milton L. Stevens, Jr.

John joined Portland Columbia Symphony in August of 2014. In addition to performing in PCSO, John is also the bass trombonist for the Siletz Bay Music Festival, Big Horn Brass, Trombone 8, and the Art Abrams Swing Machine Big Band, and is a founder of the Rose City Trombones. John has also performed with the Portland Youth Philharmonic, the Tucson, Vancouver, and Newport symphonies, the Oregon Ballet, the Salem Chamber Orchestra, the Portland Opera, and the Oregon Symphony.

While attending the University of Arizona, John performed in all instrumental groups, musical performances, and opera productions. After graduating with a degree in Marketing and a Minor in Music Performance, John won an audition to perform in the Walt Disney World All-American Orchestra’s production of Celebrate Broadway. John has recorded three albums with the Art Abrams Swing Machine Big Band and is a featured soloist on the latest album, Speak Low, Swing Hard.

John was recently selected by international audition as a Fellow for the Alessi Seminar, presented by Joseph Alessi, principal trombone of the New York Philharmonic.

John continues to enjoy a fun and exciting career in sales as Director of Business Development for CAI Logistics. When not playing on his bass and contrabass trombones, John can be found with his lovely wife and two boys, and riding his really, really big bike.

The Trombone Section is sponsored by Mardy & Hank Stevens, in memory of Dr. Milton L. Stevens, Jr.

A native of Portland, Oregon, Joe earned his Bachelor of Music degree in Performance from the University of Oregon. He went on to earn his Master of Music degree in Performance from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. He continued his musical studies in Chicago, earning a Professional Diploma in Orchestral Studies from Roosevelt University. During his time at the University of Oregon, Joe took 1st place in the Artist Solo Tuba Division at the Northwest Tuba-Euphonium Conference in 2013. Joe was the inaugural tuba player in the Graduate Brass Quintet at BGSU. He was also a mentor for the Detroit Symphony Civic Youth Ensembles. While in Chicago, Joe was an Associate Member with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the training orchestra of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In 2016, he was a finalist in the Arnold Jacobs Mock Orchestra Audition Competition at the International Tuba-Euphonium Conference.

Joe is an Associate Artist with the Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass. He has performed with orchestras in the greater Midwest area including the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Toledo Symphony, Elgin Symphony, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Locally, Joe is currently the Principal Tuba of the Portland Opera and has performed with the Oregon Bach Festival, Eugene Symphony, Vancouver Symphony (WA), Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra Brass Quintet and Brass Ensemble, Rose City Brass Quintet and the Oregon Symphony. Joe’s primary teachers include Michael Grose, David Saltzman, Charles Schuchat and Gene Pokorny.

An advocate for the marching performing arts, Joe has worked with marching band programs in Oregon including Sunset High School, McNary High School, West Salem High School, and most recently Century High School, respectively.

Currently serving a one-year term.