Eugene Izotov

Eugene Izotov (born 1973) is a Russian-born oboist and recording artist. He is currently the Principal Oboist of the San Francisco Symphony appointed by Michael Tilson Thomas in 2014. First Russian-born oboist in any major U.S. symphony orchestra. Faculty member of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Music Academy of the West, Verbier Festival (Switzerland) and Pacific Music Festival (Japan). Prior to these posts, he served as the Principal Oboist of the Chicago Symphony, Principal Oboist of the Metropolitan Opera[1], Principal Oboist of the Kansas City Symphony and has taught at the Juilliard School and the DePaul University. He studied with American oboist Ralph Gomberg at Boston University, from which he received the Distinguished Alumnus Award. In addition to being recognized as one of the world's premiere orchestral oboists, Izotov has been awarded top prizes at international competitions for solo oboists in Moscow (1990), Saint Petersburg (1991), New York (1995) and the First Prize at the 2001 Fernand Gillet International Oboe competition. Eugene Izotov's solo and chamber music collaborations include partnerships with Bernard Haitink, Riccardo Muti, James Levine, Nicholas McGegan, Michael Tilson Thomas, Yo Yo Ma, Pinchas Zukerman, Jaime Laredo, André Watts, Emanuel Ax, Yefim Bronfman, and the Tokyo String Quartet. He has appeared over 50 times as soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra[2], the Boston Symphony Orchestra[3], San Francisco Symphony[4], MET Chamber Ensemble, Pacific Music Festival Orchestra, and has recorded for Sony Classical, Boston Records, Lisem Records, BMG, Elektra, and CSOResound.