Mark Buchner - Double Bass

 

Hey, I’m Mark.  I’m in my fourth season as a member of the double bass section in the Grand Rapids Symphony.  I moved up here from Chicago with fellow GRS musician Jenna Anderson, who plays in the violin section.  We really enjoy living in Michigan, all the friends we’ve made, and the great food and drinks we’ve discovered.

​

In addition to playing with GRS, I am a member of the West Michigan Symphony Orchestra, and just wrapped up a semester of teaching as Professor of Double Bass at Western Michigan University while Tom Knific was on sabbatical.  Before moving to Michigan in 2014, I was based in Chicago where I freelanced with many of the groups around there including the Chicago Symphony, and still perform as a member of the contemporary chamber music group Ensemble Dal Niente.

​

Jenna and I love to cook, and our specialty is homemade sausages with our beloved meat grinder/stuffer.  If you’re lucky, we may make you a batch!  We’ve been trying to visit all of the breweries in West Michigan, but every time we visit one a new one seems to pop up on the other side of town.  Besides cooking and eating I enjoy playing the latest Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, and other fun games.

​

I grew up in Orange County, California, where my parents still live and I visit as often as I can.  I love Michigan, but I’ll never be able to get rid of the part of me that enjoys going to the beach in January and enjoying the fine cuisine of In’n’Out Burger.  In California I received my bachelors degree at Chapman University, then moved to Chicago to attend Northwestern University, where I received my masters degree.

​

I look forward to what the next several years bring here with the Grand Rapids Symphony.  Jenna and I are still in dog search mode, so hopefully my next profile will include a furry friend or two!