David Peterson

Orchestra Member

Instrument

Bass Trombone

Year Joined

2005

Most memorable performance with the ESO

The next one!

Favorite ESO soloist

Maestro/Pianist Lawrence Eckerling performing Rhapsody in Blue.

Why I like playing with the ESO

It is an ongoing revelation to experience the musical genius of the great composers from inside their musical minds and to discover how they used the bass trombone “color” in their compositions.

Favorite composer or piece

I confess, I cannot choose only one! As a bass trombonist, of course I enjoy the great powerful brass writing of composers such as Mahler, Bruckner, and Mussorgsky, and, of course, there’s Brahms and, and, and....

When I’m not playing with the ESO, I’m…

Practicing! Every morning when I come into my music studio I look at my bass trombone and I remember what my teacher, Edward Kleinhammer, the legendary bass trombonist of the Chicago Symphony used to say: “My goal is to improve 1% each year...that way in 100 years I will be 100% better!” His motto he liked to share was: “Onward toward perfection!” Mr. Kleinhammer passed on a year ago this past November, but, I still hear his voice every time I roll up my sleeves to dig into my practicing.

Something most people don’t know about me

I have mastered the art of harmonic overtone singing as practiced for thousands of years in cultures such as Tibet and Mongolia. I play the Indian Tambura. I am also the bass trombonist of the world-class Chicago Brass Band where I enjoy presenting a special arrangement of “Frosty the Snowman.”