OU Trombone Choir slides in free 40th anniversary concert
OU trombone choir begins to celebrate years of music

BY JANE GLENN CANNON Comments 2
Published: November 5, 2009

NORMAN — A 9-year-old Irvin Wagner saw his first trombone in a department store window on a Saturday shopping trip to town with his dad, a farmer in rural Washington state.

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"The trombone is not an easy instrument to play, especially for a little person. Dallas Finch (his teacher) took a look at me and said, ‘well, I think he’s husky enough to play the trombone."
Irvin Wagner
Trombone player and director of the OU Trombone Choir

If you go

• What: The OU Trombone Choir 40th Anniversary Celebration Concert

• Where: Paul Sharp Concert Hall, Catlett Music Center, 500 W Boyd St.

• When: 8 p.m. today

• Cost: Free

"I was fascinated by it. I told my dad, ‘I think I’d like to play that,’” Wagner said.

His father — a musician "who farmed to earn a living rather than the other way around” — took note. Two weeks later he had both an instrument and a teacher for his son.

"It was quite remarkable really. Not only was there a trombone teacher in this little town, he was quite good, a very credible musician,” Wagner said.

Thus began Wagner’s relationship with an instrument some consider cumbersome and one not for the faint of breath.

"On the inside, he must have been thrilled that someone in that little town wanted to learn the trombone, but he was cool about it. He wanted to make sure I could do it first,” he said.

Today, Wagner is internationally known for his expertise on the trombone. A David Ross Boyd and Regents music professor at University of Oklahoma, he is also director of the 26-member OU Trombone Choir.

The choir — and Wagner — are celebrating 40 years of music at OU this year. In honor of the occasion, the choir will present a free concert at 8 p.m. today in Sharp Concert Hall at Catlett Music Center, 500 W Boyd St. It is open to the public.

The group specializes in performing music originally written for trombone ensembles dating from the 15th century to the present. It will perform styles from the Renaissance to jazz and avant garde.

Wagner joined the OU faculty in 1969 as the music school’s first trombone professor. One of his first acts was to form the OU Trombone Choir.

"I think we had about six players that year,” he recalled.

Today, Wagner remains the school’s only trombone professor and head of the choir that now features anywhere from 26 to 30 musicians a year.

Three women are members, and Wagner says female trombonists are becoming more common.

"It’s a myth that women don’t have enough breath to play the trombone. That’s not true,” he said.

Today, Wagner also plays the spoons — "I saw someone do it once and thought it looked like fun so I taught myself” — and conducts symphony orchestras.

He has played for the pope three times and starred in concerts on every continent except Antarctica.

"And I’m trying to figure out a way to do that. I’d love a picture of me playing before a bunch of penguins,” he said.