A Smile That Spoke Volumes
Of all the memories that linger of David Stabler, it is his smile that remains unforgettable. A broad, delighted curve at the corners of his mouth, it lifted his mustache into a twitch and spread upward to his eyes, which always seemed to share in the joy. That smile seemed to ask: Isn’t life grand? Can’t we scoop it all up?
David, who spent nearly three decades as the classical music critic for The Oregonian, died early Wednesday morning, September 17, 2025, at the age of 72 after battling acute myeloid leukemia.
A Multifaceted Life
Stabler was not only a critic but also a pianist, singer, teacher, outdoorsman, husband, father, and long-distance cyclist. He was a Pulitzer Prize finalist, and through his insightful and elegant writing, he shaped the way thousands of Oregonians understood music—its traditions, its evolving forms, and its ability to reflect the world around us.
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His work often extended beyond the concert hall. He found music in the sounds of the natural world, and he shared those discoveries with readers, showing how art and nature inform one another.
Roots in Music and Journalism
David and his brother Martin grew up in Middlebury, Connecticut, just steps from Wesleyan University, where their father taught. Music was central to his upbringing. After earning degrees in piano performance from the University of Western Ontario and the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, he pursued further study in Vienna and London.
In 1981, Stabler began his journalism career as music critic for the Anchorage Daily News. Five years later, he moved to Portland to join The Oregonian, where he would become a defining voice in the city’s cultural life.
Chronicler of Oregon’s Musical Landscape
At The Oregonian, Stabler covered everything from the Oregon Symphony under James DePreist, to the Portland Opera led by Christopher Mattaliano, to ensembles such as Fear No Music, Third Angle, Cappella Romana, and the Oregon Bach Festival in Eugene. His writing was marked by precision, clarity, and a musician’s deep understanding of the art form.
He connected the past to the present, showing readers how “classical” music remained relevant in a rapidly changing world. His 2000–2001 John S. Knight Fellowship at Stanford University broadened his perspective and sharpened his skills. “The variety, not to mention the newspaper’s deadlines, kept me on my toes and pushed me far beyond my conservatory training,” he once wrote.
A Life in Motion
Beyond the newsroom and the concert hall, David was remarkably active. Friends remember him as one of the fittest people they knew. In 2017, he and his brother Martin biked from Astoria, Oregon, to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, documenting the trip for friends who followed along online.
As Oregonian colleague John Killen recalled, David’s passions often overlapped. During a Mount Tabor bike ride in 2018, the group came upon a piano. Encouraged by his brother, David sat down—cycling gloves and all—and played.
Home, Family, and Community
David and his wife Judith, an opera singer and piano teacher, built a life together in a Southeast Portland home where they often welcomed friends for informal gatherings. Sometimes the parties spilled into the green space across the street, where a creek ran below.
For years, the couple also sang in the choir at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. After Judith’s death in 2021, David considered moving but ultimately chose to stay in the home where they had been happiest.
Colleague and Friend
For many years, Stabler’s desk at The Oregonian sat close to fellow arts journalist Bob Hicks, who recalls the easy flow of conversation—sometimes light, sometimes serious. They often returned to the newsroom late at night, one from a concert, the other from a theater, and shared a quiet companionship of work.
Coffee and lunch breaks with colleagues built camaraderie in what was once one of the nation’s most versatile arts sections. Stabler was at its heart, eager to push beyond boundaries and connect music with broader civic issues.
One of his stories had a profound impact on Portland. City Council member Steve Novick credited Stabler’s reporting on the Vista Bridge, long a site of suicides, with prompting the city to install barriers. “Given what we know about suicidal thoughts, I believe, as he did, that the removal of such a ‘suicide magnet’ saves lives,” Novick said.
The Outdoors as Orchestra
From the concert hall to the wilderness, Stabler found music everywhere. In a Facebook post last fall, he described a trip to the Laurentians north of Montreal: “We swam in the lake (gasp) and took long walks in the woods. The colors! This morning, a loon silently swam by us, 15 feet away, and then it let out a cry that echoed off the distant shore. Magical.”
That loon’s call, like so many sounds he cherished, was to him part of life’s great music.
Teaching and Mentorship
After retiring from The Oregonian, Stabler continued to share his passion by leading introductory classes in classical music at Classic Pianos in Southeast Portland. He remained committed to making music accessible to all, whether through his writing, his teaching, or his performances.
A Lasting Legacy
Stabler is remembered not only for his professional achievements but also for his generosity of spirit, his warmth, and his ability to make others feel part of the music he so deeply loved.
He is survived by family, including his brother Martin, his children, and a wide circle of friends and colleagues who admired both his artistry and his humanity.
A public celebration of his life is being planned, with details to be announced.
A Smile That Endures
For all his accomplishments—as critic, musician, teacher, cyclist, and friend—it is still that smile that so many remember first. It was a smile that carried delight, understanding, and a gentle reminder to embrace life’s joys.
Through his words and his music, David Stabler invited readers and listeners alike to see the world differently. And though he is gone, his smile—and the music it symbolized—will echo on.
