He was the first performing artist ever selected by Affiliate Artists to present a lecture-recital format, as part of the American Symphony Orchestra's newly-created "Prelude Series" held in Carnegie Hall (December 1987).

Various concerto appearances have included those with orchestras in Atlanta, Milwaukee, Flagstaff, Kansas City, Green Bay, Yakima (WA), New York City's Town Hall, Providence (RI), Ashland (OR), the Napa Valley of California, Westmoreland (PA), Aegina (Greece), and the Brevard Music Camp's Festival Orchestra; as well as a special appearance at the Little Orchestra Society's 40-anniversary Alice Tully Hall gala.

Solo presentations and panelist on New York City's various hour-long outreach programs: WQXR's "The Listening Room" (thrice); WNCN's "Rising Star Showcase"; Westinghouse Group-W TV artist showcase. Speaker at two (2) of New York City Mayor Koch's Arts Fundraisers. Franck Avril was artist-panelist on the live broadcast panel "Dialogues with the New York Philharmonic", hosted by Ed Downes (1984), panelist and presenter at Nora Post 's "Oboe Blow-Out II" in Portland, OR (1995), and served as both performer and panelist at YCA's first-ever "Symposium for Young Artists", held at the University of Maryland - College Park.

Born in 1953, he studied with Robert Bloom at Yale University (B.A., 1974) and with Robert Sprenkle at Eastman School of Music (M.M. in Performance & Literature, 1975), as well as private study with Ronald Roseman, Elaine Douvas, Joe Robinson, Fred Korman, and Beth Orson. He was managed by YCA as Solo Oboist from 1979 until 1986, and was Residency-Artist with Affiliate Artists from 1983 until 1989.

His orchestral posts have included Principal Oboe and core original member of Alice Tully Hall-based Chamber Symphony Concordia (Marin Alsop, founder & conductor): 1984 to 1990. Principal Oboe of Long Island Philharmonic (Christopher Keene, conductor): 1984 to 1988, "Swing position" (Principal and/or Second) Oboist with New York City Opera Summer Seasons of 1985 & 1986, Principal Oboist of the Northwest Chamber Orchestra (Seattle, WA) from 1988-1993 (Sydney Harth, conducting), and Principal Oboist and Concertist with the Northwest Sinfonietta (Tacoma, WA) 1991 to 1994 (Christophe Chagnard, conducting). He has also played primarily as as Principal Oboe for selected performances / seasons of the Joffrey Ballet, the Naumburg Orchestra, the Seattle Opera, the Northeast Pennsylvania Philharmonic under Hugh Wolf; the Chamber Orchestra of Europe (Loren Maazell, conducting); the Greg Smith Singers; and for regional tours of Garrison Keillor; Victor Borge; A Chorus Line; Camelot; Cabaret.

Franck Avril has performed in commercially-released recordings of Seattle Symphony, NZSO, Bach Aria Group Festival, and Northwest Chamber Orchestra.

A former Faculty member of the Conservatory of Music, University of Missouri at Kansas City [1977-1982] and of the School of Music, University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa [1993-1998] Avril has taught at Summer Festivals of the California Music Center and of Marrowstone. Former students have successfully completed their graduate programs at the Universities of North Texas, Northwestern, Vienna, and at the Eastman School of Music.

Please browse Franck Avril's concerto repertoire, chamber repertoire and sample recital programmes.

Awards

• 1977: Winner, Concert Artists Guild Award (NYC)
• 1977: Bronze Medalist, Geneva International Competitions
• 1979: First oboist to win Young Concert Artists Int'l Auditions
• 1983: First oboist to be chosen for the Affiliate Artists program
• 1983: Selected by Musical America one of year's Top Concertizing Artists
• 1986: Finalist, Pro Musicis Foundation Int'l Auditions
• 1994: Co-finalist, Principal Cor Anglais auditions with NZSO

Contact details and further information

97204-2124

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