Oregon Symphony Appoints New Associate Concertmaster

Violinist Jessica Lee will step into the role

The Oregon Symphony has announced that it has appointed violinist Jessica Lee to serve as its new Associate Concertmaster. She takes over from Peter Frajola, who has held the post for an impressive forty years.

Hailing originally from Virginia, Lee studied with Robert Mann and Ida Kavafian at the Curtis Institute of Music and The Juilliard School. The winner of the 2005 Concert Artists Guild International Competition, she has given recitals at Carnegie Hall, the Phillips Collection, and the Rudolfinum in Prague.

As a soloist, Lee has appeared with the Houston, Richmond, and Grand Rapids Symphonies, the Plzen Philharmonic, and the Malaysia Festival Orchestra, among others. She is an experienced chamber musician, touring with the Johannes Quartet and Musicians from Marlboro, as well as appearing at festivals including Music@Menlo and Santa Fe.

A previous Assistant Concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra, Lee comes to her post in Oregon from a full-time teaching position at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she is also Head of the Violin Department.

Harrison Linsey has also been appointed to the Oregon Symphony as Principal Oboe, and he succeeds Martin Hébert in this chair.

"As we look ahead to the 2025/26 season, we are honored to welcome these two extraordinary musicians to the Oregon Symphony family," said David Danzmayr, Music Director. "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."