Mara Barker
Double Bass
Mara Barker is an active performer and educator based in Greensboro, North Carolina. She is currently the Adjunct Instructor of Bass at High Point University and Lower School Music Teacher at Canterbury School Greensboro. She is a bassist with the Greensboro Symphony, Winston-Salem Symphony, Roanoke Symphony, Salisbury Symphony (Principal Bass), and she performs regularly with Opera Roanoke. For the past three summers, she has performed as a chamber musician with Virginia’s Blue Ridge Music Festival. She has performed as a soloist with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Blue Lake Festival Orchestra, Ball State University Symphony Orchestra, and the Salisbury Symphony. She has appeared as a guest clinician, presenter, adjudicator, and sectional coach throughout the Southeast.
Mara received a Bachelor of Music degree in double bass performance from Ball State University where she was a student of Dr. Philip Albright, a Young Artist Scholarship recipient, and Concerto Competition winner. She received a Master of Music degree in double bass performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she was a graduate teaching assistant and student of Mr. Jack Budrow. Mara performs on an award-winning bass (#6) made by the modern luthier Chris Roberts of the Cincinnati Bass Cellar.
Joined with the WSS
1998
Hometown
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Education
University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Master of Music
Ball State University, Bachelor of Music
Website & Social
soundcloud.com/mara-barker
Five Questions with Mara
Who are your musical heroes?
Gary Karr comes to mind because he recently passed away. He was one of the greatest bass players of the 20th and 21st centuries. He really brought the bass to the forefront of the music world as a solo instrument. He was an exceptionally talented, kind, and beautiful soul with a larger than life personality. Every teacher who influenced me and helped me grow and develop as a musician is also a musical hero.
Who are your non-music-related heroes?
Rosa Parks comes to mind because I recently visited the Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery, Alabama. There’s so much more to her story than the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Anne Frank, Susan B. Anthony, and Malala Yousafzai are other inspirational women.
What are your favorite foods?
I’m a pescatarian and I love many vegetarian and seafood dishes. Thai food, Mexican food, pasta with pesto sauce, fancy egg dishes, and spicy shrimp are favorites. Favorite snacks are raw sliced green peppers, Jalapeno Cheetos, and cappuccino flavored Jelly Belly candies.
What do you like to do when you’re not on stage with the Symphony?
Reading, cooking and baking, hiking, traveling.
What are your go-to places in Winston-Salem? Favorite restaurants, bars, parks, attractions?
Camino Bakery, West End Cafe, Old Salem, Hanesbrands Theatre, a/perture cinema