PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY OBOIST & PYP ALUMNUS MAX BLAIR RETURNS TO CLOSE OUT PYP’S 95TH SEASON
Posted on April 2, 2019
AUERBACH & MARTINŮ | Sunday, May 5, 2019 | 4:00 PM | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
PORTLAND, OR – Hearing is believing! Portland Youth Philharmonic celebrates the close of its landmark 95th season on Sunday, May 5, 2019, in the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall with the West Coast premiere of Russian-American composer Lera Auerbach’s Symphony No. 1, “Chimera.” The premiere is sponsored in part by the Women’s Philharmonic Advocacy. The concert also features oboe soloist and PYP alumnus (2008) Max Blair, now Associate Principal Oboe with the Pittsburgh Symphony.
“PYP was a huge part of my life in high school,” says Blair. “It gave me my first experience playing in an orchestra, and exposed me to other young people who shared the passion for music that I had. I have so many great memories from that time. I feel very fortunate to have had theory, ear training, and conducting classes as a member of the orchestra. PYP was where I had my first exposure to doing what eventually became my job. I wouldn’t be the same musician I am today if I hadn’t had that opportunity!”
Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Blair began playing the oboe at age 14. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Juilliard School, studying with Elaine Douvas and Nathan Hughes. Blair joined the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra as Associate Principal Oboe in 2016. He has performed as guest Principal Oboe with The Cleveland Orchestra, The San Francisco Symphony, and the Buffalo Philharmonic. For two seasons, he also served as Principal Oboe of the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra in New York City. He has spent recent summers at the Marlboro, Verbier, Aspen, and Spoleto USA music festivals.
With PYP, Blair will perform 20th century Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů’s beautiful Oboe Concerto. His appearance is sponsored by PYP alumna (1943) Vlasta Becvar Barber. The 4:00 PM performance will end on a joyful note with the Overture to La Belle Hélène by Jacques Offenbach, a celebratory parody of Helen’s elopement with Paris of Troy, which sparked the Trojan War.
Blair will join the orchestra for a free public preview of this concert at Canby High School in Canby, Oregon, on Thursday, May 2, at 7:30 PM, and PYP will also live stream the performance on its popular YouTube channel. Music lovers of all ages are invited to attend or tune in, as PYP’s astonishing season of concerts proudly celebrating 95 years of fearless artistry, adventurous programming, and excellent performances, comes to a grand close.
Tickets to the May 5th performance start at $5 and are on sale now at www.portlandyouthphil.org/concerts.