Kymry Esainko
Designation : Principal, Marilyn P. Schlangen Memorial Chair
Instrument : Piano/Celesta
Birth Place : San Francisco, CA
Grew Up : Sacramento, CA
Started Playing : I started piano at age 7. I’ve never taken up any other instruments in earnest, but I did play timpani and percussion in high school band, and I can play a few chords on guitar and a melody or two on the recorder. To quote would-be jazz-flautist Will Ferrell: “I dabble.”
Education : Private piano lessons with Dr. Frank Wasko, professor of piano at CSU Sacramento.Double degree at Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music; Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance, Bachelor of Arts in History
Began with SRS : I joined the orchestra in 2002.
Non SRS : I do a lot of vocal and choral accompanying, notably with Pacific Edge Voices in Berkeley. I’m also a freelance jazz pianist and play with various big bands and salsa groups.
Favorite Music : Hard to pin that down, but jazz (and other forms of improvised music) is a rich vein to mine.
In My iPod : Stephen Malkmus, Freddie Hubbard, Tame Impala, Pere Ubu, Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock.
Hobbies : The 4 B’s: Bicycling, baseball, basketball,and beer. Recently I started roasting my own coffee as well.
Email : esainko@yahoo.com