Facts about Mark:
His most Influential teachers were Leon Brown at North Texas State and David Waters, Bass Trombonist, Houston Symphony.
Mark earliest musical memory was his father playing euphonium in the bathroom because the sound there was the best in the house.
After hearing the bass trombonist in the Texas All-State Orchestra and then being in that same chair his senior year and knowing that he could dominate the orchestra whenever he wanted, made Mark realize he wanted to make music his career.
Marks favorite composers are Wagner, Strauss and Glazunov and at the moment has MSO's performance of Elijah playing on the CD player.
On his music stand is the MSO first Masterworks concert this season and on his night stand is a book of Pogo comic strips.
What he enjoys most about performing is being part of an ensemble and making it sound like one voice. He sees the symphony's most important role as improving the listeners quality of life and that we are not elitists as musicians.
Mark Vail, a Texas native, attended North Texas State University from 1979-82. He began his orchestral career in the Midland/Odessa Symphony, where he played bass trombone from 1982-1985. In 1986, he joined the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Vail was a staff member of the "Memphis Sound", a drum and bugle corp during their inaugural year.
