It’s now been announced: James Laase has won the principal oboe position in Symphony San Jose. He is a very musical player, and I can’t wait to hear him this coming season!
Congratulations, James!
I have been remiss in writing about the San Francisco Symphony second oboe position. But no longer. A huge congratulations to Brooks Fisher on his well-deserved appointment.
I had the honor and privilege of sitting next to Brooks in Symphony San Jose for a few sets. He is a magnificent musician. He is expressive, and his technical ability is wonderful. Beyond that, he is simply a very decent, kind, gracious, and wonderful man. Symphony San Jose will not enjoy saying goodbye to him, but at the same time we all knew we were fortunate to have him on our stage for even a brief time.
So hooray Brooks! I look forward to seeing you on the San Francisco Symphony stage!
Adrienne Burg!
Adrienne won the principal oboe chair with Opera San José. She played a beautiful audition, and we are happy to have her in our orchestra family.
The audition process is grueling. My hat goes off to ALL who participated. We really did hear some very fine playing. So kudos to all who showed up, whoever you are. (I honestly haven’t a clue about who was behind that screen.) You all deserve medals for going through the audition process.
I was delighted to hear that Ryan Zwahlen won the second oboe position with Santa Cruz Symphony. Congratulations to him and to the orchestra as well!
San Francisco Opera had second oboe auditions this week. They were scheduled for four days, and I can’t imagine how exhausted both the players and the committee are at this point! But they have a winner.
Congratulations to Gabriel Young! I look forward to hearing you play next year. (Yes, we have season tickets again.)
Marcello, in 2015 (From YouTube: “19-year-old Gabriel Young (winner of the program’s concerto competition) in the final concert of the 2015 National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C.”):
Here he is, playing the Mozart, in 2016:
And the Strauss. Memorized.
Obviously a fine, fine player! Very musical, which matters very much to me.
Another young one wins an audition. What were you doing when you were 24?!
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association has appointed William Welter, a recent graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and the holder of an artist diploma from the Oberlin Conservatory, as principal oboe.
The appointment is to take effect this fall, pending the finalizing of his contract with the association, an orchestra spokeswoman said.
At 24, Welter will be one of the youngest musicians ever to be named to a first-chair position with the CSO.
For Santa Rosa Symphony:
… the orchestra hired Jesse Barrett of San Francisco to fill an oboe/English horn vacancy. Barrett resides in San Francisco and plays with the Merced Symphony, the Reno Chamber Orchestra and Symphony Napa Valley.
AND
Minnesota Orchestra:
Joseph Peters (BM, 2009, oboe, student of John Snow) was recently named principal oboist of the Minnesota Orchestra. He is currently principal oboist of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.
Found here.
Congratulations to both players!
I just read this (thanks Delmar!):
AUDITION RESULT! Principal oboe Louisville Orchestra.
This audition was won by Alexander Vvedenskiy who graduated from Curtis and is currently studying with Liang Wang at the Manhattan School of Music. Here is Alex playing an oboe transcription of The Introduction and Rondo Capricioso for Violin and Orch. by Saint-Saens.
