Salem’s second-generation Oregon Symphony violinist retires after 41 years

After over four decades with the Oregon Symphony, Salem native Peter Frajola is putting his bow down and stepping into retirement. 

Frajola followed in the footsteps of his parents, both violinists in the symphony, who nurtured his love of the instrument from childhood. Retiring after 41 years, he leaves as one of the orchestra’s longest-serving members.

Frajola was born in 1958 and moved to Salem at the age of 2. The third of four siblings, he began to play the violin at 4 under his parent’s tutelage.

His father joined the symphony when Frajola was about 7, and he fondly recalls taking road trips to watch him perform.

“It was the orchestra I grew up listening to and loving,” Frajola said. 

Frajola attended Sprague High School, where his father also taught orchestra. Some mornings, he would get a private lesson from his mother, then pick the violin back up for his father’s class in the afternoon.

Frajola began playing paid gigs in his early teens and quickly realized he could turn his passion into a career. 

At 17, Frajola played his first solo with the Oregon Symphony after winning a contest. 

“It was a joy to play with them,” he said. “It was just over so fast, you walk on stage and you play the piece that you’ve worked on all year, and just all of a sudden it’s gone in the blink of an eye.”

During that solo, Frajola’s parents played their violins behind him. 

After high school, Frajola attended the University of Oregon for two years before transferring to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music to complete his degree. He played with the San Francisco Opera and various orchestras in the Bay Area.

But the Oregon Symphony kept calling.

With fond memories and desire to be closer to family, Frajola said the decision to audition for the symphony in 1984 was a “no brainer.”

He said the audition process was rigorous and involved multiple rounds. Winning a spot, he said, was “a dream come true.”

Frajola started as an assistant concertmaster and later became the associate concertmaster, a leadership role second only to the concertmaster, who heads the violins.

Hannah Tate, director of orchestra personnel, said Frajola’s 41-year career is an “outstanding tenure with an orchestra,” with 52 years being the record. She said he always went “above and beyond” in his role. 

Over the years, Frajola said he saw the symphony evolve from a regional orchestra to a major symphony orchestra under the leadership of Music Director James DePreist. 

He looks back on his career with gratitude and humility, having appreciated the opportunity to perform solos and explore music from a wide range of composers. 

His favorite solo was Mozart’s Fourth Violin Concerto, which he described as a joyful piece.

“There’s just something about it,” he said. “It’s beautiful music.”

His time in the symphony overlapped with his mother’s by nearly 20 years.

“It was great being from the same orchestra as my mom,” Frajola said. “She was a very good player, very hard worker. She and I got along really well.”

Beyond the concert hall, the symphony gave Frajola the opportunity to share his skills at Salem and Keizer public schools, including his alma mater. As a volunteer instructor, Frajola helped violin students refine their bowing, vibrato and fingering.

“There’s just so much that’s really great and memorable for me, and I’m just so happy that I’ve had this chance,” Frajola said about his career in the orchestra.

Though he lives in Beaverton, Frajola relished returning to Salem for the symphony’s regular performances on the Willamette University campus. He made a showing at some community events like Make Music Day, and traveled up the Santiam Canyon following the 2020 wildfires to play violin for volunteers and firefighters who were taking a break.

“I just love the community. I’m always willing to go down there and play for just anybody that needs to have some music,” he told Salem Reporter at the time.

In retirement, Frajola is considering continuing teaching violin in public schools or offering private lessons like his parents did. 

”I do really enjoy any opportunity to work with young people,” Frajola said. “Now that I’m not employed by the Oregon Symphony, I just might do that on my own.”

While still deeply devoted to the violin, Frajola, now 67, looks forward to exploring new interests and hobbies like golfing, walking and hiking, alongside his wife Laurie. The pair married in 1990.

Though Laurie is not a trained musician, Frajola said she has “musical background in listening.” “She has to listen to me practice all the time,” he said, laughing. 

Have a news tip? Contact reporter Hailey Cook: [email protected] or (208) 515-4097.

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