JEFFREY STEPHENSON WINS FIRST PRIZE IN THE FERNAND GILLET - HUGO FOX INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
The Fernand Gillet - Hugo Fox International Competition is recognized as one of the world's most prestigious competitions for young double reed artists. Hosted every year by the annual conference of the International Double Reed Society, it alternates between oboe and bassoon, with this year's 27th competition intended for oboists exclusively. Held at the 36th annual IDRS Convention at Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY June 12-16, 2007, this year's first prize was awarded to Jeffrey Stephenson, a current graduate student at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music. Mr. Stephenson received a cash prize of 8,000 US dollars, with second prize receiving 3,000 US dollars and three honorable mentions capturing 1,000 US dollars each.
Jeffrey Stephenson, oboe
The competition is divided into two rounds, with a preliminary taped round and a final, live performance round held in public at the IDRS conference. Five finalists are selected based upon their preliminary tape performances, judged anonymously by a distinguished, international panel. After being named the first prize winner for his final round performance, Jeffrey Stephenson performed Concertino for Oboe and Orchestra, by Ignaz Lachner, with the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra at the closing concert of the 2007 IDRS conference.
Mr. Stephenson will take a one-year leave of absence from his graduate studies at Rice to perform as Principal Oboe of the Houston Grand Opera and Houston Ballet, both one-year positions. He is currently a student of Robert Atherholt, Principal Oboe of the Houston Symphony, and received his Bachelor of Music Degree and Performer's Certificate from the Eastman School of Music, where he studied with Richard Killmer. He has performed as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral performer with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra of Southeast Texas, and throughout the United States, Canada and Austria.
This competition is dedicated to the memory of the late master oboist and honorary member of the IDRS, Fernand Gillet, and to the memory of master bassoonist Hugo Fox, principal bassoonist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1922-1949.
