Jessica Lee, Harrison Linsey, Peter Frajola, and Martin Hébert: Musician Leadership Transitions at the Oregon Symphony

The Oregon Symphony and Jean Vollum Music Director David Danzmayr are pleased to announce the appointment of two key musician leaders while bidding farewell to two of its longtime and revered members. Jessica Lee will join the Symphony as Associate Concertmaster, filling the seat of 40-year veteran Peter Frajola, who retires at the end of this season; and Harrison Linsey takes over for Martin Hébert as Principal Oboe. 

 “As we look ahead to the 2025/26 season, we are honored to welcome these two extraordinary musicians to the Oregon Symphony family,” says Danzmayr. “And we celebrate, with profound gratitude, the extraordinary careers of Martin Hébert and Peter Frajola, two musicians whose talent, dedication, and leadership have shaped the Oregon Symphony for decades. While they will take their final bows with us at the end of this season, their legacy will continue to resonate in every note we play.” 

Jessica Lee(Violin) will be joining the Oregon Symphony for the 2025/26 Season as the new Del M. Smith & Maria Stanley Smith Associate Concertmaster Chair. A Virginia native, Lee studied at Curtis and Juilliard under Robert Mann and Ida Kavafian in her early career. In later years, Lee built a multi-faceted career as a soloist, chamber musician, pedagogue, and Assistant Concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra, joining the Oregon Symphony directly from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she currently teaches full-time and serves as Head of the Violin Department. Praised as “a soloist one should make a special effort to hear, wherever she plays,” Lee won the 2005 Concert Artists Guild International Competition and was featured in The Strad as a rising star. She has performed worldwide as a soloist with orchestras including the Houston, Richmond, and Grand Rapids Symphonies, the Plzen Philharmonic, and the Malaysia Festival Orchestra. Lee has given recitals at Carnegie Hall, the Phillips Collection, and the Rudolfinum in Prague, and has played at renowned venues such as the Berlin Philharmonie and Concertgebouw. An active chamber musician, she toured with the Johannes Quartet and Musicians from Marlboro and has performed at major festivals, including Music@Menlo and Santa Fe. Connect with Jessica Lee at jessicaleeviolinist.com

Additionally, Harrison Linsey was awarded the position of Harold J Schnitzer Principal Oboe and will be joining the Oregon Symphony for the 2025/26 Season. A versatile musician and collaborator, Linsey’s musical journey gained momentum during his studies with Elaine Douvas at The Juilliard School where his love for the oboe truly blossomed. After three seasons with the San Diego Symphony, Linsey joined the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) at the Kennedy Center in 2018, where he is currently the Acting Assistant Principal Oboe. Beyond the NSO, Linsey has played with world-renowned orchestras, including guest principal roles with the Seattle, Detroit, and Pittsburgh symphonies, as well as engagements with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Notably, he performed Mozart's Oboe Concerto with the NSO in September 2023 and recorded the world premiere of Christopher Tyler Nickel’s Bass Oboe Concerto. As a passionate educator, Linsey teaches students of all ages and serves on the faculty at the Hidden Valley Music Seminars Oboe Masterclass in California. Each summer, he returns to Washington state as Principal Oboist of the Bellingham Festival of Music and collaborates with chamber musicians at the Archipelago Collective.

After 40 years of service, Peter Frajola (Del M. Smith & Maria Stanley Smith Associate Concertmaster Chair) plans to retire from the Oregon Symphony at the end of the 2024/25 Season. Frajola joined the Oregon Symphony in 1984 after studying under notable scholarships at the University of Oregon and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he earned his B.M. Before returning to Oregon, he served as assistant concertmaster for the Louisville Orchestra and co-concertmaster for the Knoxville Symphony. In addition to his role in the Oregon Symphony, Frajola has performed with the Eugene, Marin, and San Francisco Opera orchestras, and has been the concertmaster of the Ernest Bloch Music Festival since 1994. As a soloist, he has collaborated with various orchestras, including the Knoxville Symphony and the Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra. Frajola’s musical foundation was influenced by his parents, both violinists in the Oregon Symphony, and he enjoys playing in various settings, such as solo and chamber performances. Frajola resides in Beaverton with his wife Laurie and, upon retirement, looks forward to pursuing his interests in golf, running, and weightlifting further. 

Martin Hébert (Harold J Schnitzer Principal Oboe Chair) also announces his retirement after 19 years of service to the Oregon Symphony. Hébert has been the Principal Oboe of the Oregon Symphony since 2006, previously holding similar positions with the Florida Orchestra, Savannah Symphony Orchestra, and Mexico City Philharmonic. A Cleveland native, he studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music under John Mack and has performed as Guest Principal Oboe with prestigious orchestras such as the Pittsburgh Symphony and the Atlanta Symphony. His diverse experience includes soloist opportunities with the Oregon Symphony, playing with opera and ballet companies across several cities, participating in festivals like the Crested Butte Music Festival, and engaging in chamber music with ensembles like Chamber Music Northwest. He has toured internationally in Japan, Hong Kong, Western Europe, and South America and recorded for various international labels. After retirement, Hébert looks forward to teaching and coaching youth groups in Oregon and pursuing other passions, including outdoor activities like biking and hiking.

About the Oregon Symphony

The multi-GRAMMY Award-nominated Oregon Symphony, led by Jean Vollum Music Director David Danzmayr, serves more than 500,000 people annually through live concerts and education and community engagement programs. Through innovative initiatives such as the Creative Alliance, the Oregon Symphony engages cultural thought-leaders to bring a diversity of backgrounds, perspectives, and inspiring musical experiences to our community that go beyond the concert hall and support the Symphony’s mission to move music forward. Online programming and syndicated broadcasts extend the Oregon Symphony’s reach to tens of millions more children and adults around the world. The Oregon Symphony has delighted audiences for more than 125 years and is the oldest orchestra in the Western United States. For more information, visit www.orsymphony.org. Follow Oregon Symphony on Instagram and Facebook.

Media Contact: Laurel Wilde, Director of Communications, lwilde@orsymphony.org