Marcia Butler
Principal oboist, Marcia Butler, is a relatively new member of The Little Orchestra Society but is certainly not new to the New York City area. She has been an acclaimed solo artist, chamber musician and active orchestral member since the late 80s. She has performed and recorded with musicians of international stature, including pianist Andre Watts, pianist and composer Keith Jarrett, soprano Dawn Upshaw and violinist Pamela Frank. As an orchestral musician Marcia has performed with virtually every orchestra in New York City and the vicinity, including the Orchestra of St. Luke's, American Symphony, American Composers' Orchestra, Brooklyn Philharmonic, Mostly Mozart, the New York Chamber Ensemble, the Dance Theatre of Harlem, New York Pops, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Riverside Symphony as well of course as serving as currently serving as Principal of The Little Orchestra Society for the past two seasons.
Highlights of her career include giving the premiere performance of Keith Jarrett's Oboe Adagio at Alice Tully Hall, being the first American oboist to perform Elliott Carter's Oboe Concerto with the Riverside Symphony in celebration of the composer's 85th birthday, and touring with Andre Watts and with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.
Ms. Butler is also a champion of new music. She is a performing and recording member of Parnassus, and has performed and recorded with Speculum Musicae and Continuum. As a soloist and chamber musician, she has premiered over 50 new works, commissioning and recording many of them. Her playing can be heard on Deutsche Grammophon, ECM, Koch, Elektra, Nonesuch and other labels.
As are other LOS members, Marcia is also an educator, serving as faculty and performing artist at the Wellesley Composers Conference under the artistic direction of Mario Davidovsky. Her studies at the Mannes College of Music were supported by full scholarship grant from the Helena Rubenstein Foundation; she received her Master's Degree from Queens College and has studied with Stephen Adelstein and Ronald Roseman.
