Adam Esbensen

Cello

At this moment …

We would find Adam walking in Washington Park. Like many Oregonians, Adam doesn't let the rain keep him indoors, and he tries to go to the park every day, rain or shine. "I like to wander around until I get lost," he explains. Adam likes to visit the Shakespeare and Rose Test Gardens, but prefers the forested areas in and around the Hoyt Arboretum, especially the 27-mile-long Wildwood Trail.

On the CD player …

Adam is a confirmed classical music hound, even when he's listening for his own enjoyment. He's particularly fond of Bach keyboard music and likes the recordings of pianist András Schiff. "When I was younger I listened to hard rock like Van Halen, but I catch a lot of grief for it these days." A confirmed Dodger fan, Adam also listens to a lot of baseball games during the season.

In the kitchen …

Adam specializes in what he calls "sustenance-only foods" like pasta and sandwiches. "The appliances that get the most use in my kitchen are the coffee pot and the rice cooker. I did just recently get a microwave so I can reheat my coffee."

On the music stand …

In addition to upcoming orchestra music, Adam is practicing etudes by cellist, composer and pedagogue David Popper. "They focus on stuff I like to work on and help my playing," Adam explains. "I'm always working on different positions for my left hand, keeping the hand in one place and playing a series of notes. The Popper etudes are super-impossible; I'll never master them completely."

And on the nightstand …

Adam is making his way down a list of recommended fiction that was given to him by his eleventh grade English teacher. Right now he's reading Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy. "I'd read Sister Carrie a while ago and enjoyed it. For some reason I still have this list from my teacher, so I go back to it for ideas from time to time."

Before you left …

Adam would show you his enormous record collection…that's records, that is, LP's, which are mostly classical and jazz. "I like LP's because there's a lot of stuff that hasn't been re-released on CD. Of course there's also the Van Halen collection," Adam adds.