Gustav Highstein

Gustav Highstein is listed as an oboe soloist appearing with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra in February 2027. The program includes Stravinsky's Pulcinella, a new piece by Coleman titled Motif or Memory, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 2. Beyond this listing, no further biographical details are available.

This concert pairs three very different sound worlds. Stravinsky's Pulcinella suite reworks eighteenth century Italian tunes with tart, unexpected harmonies and crisp, dance like rhythms, a good showcase for an oboe's bright, reedy color against small orchestral forces. Coleman's Motif or Memory is a contemporary work, so listeners should expect a piece exploring repeated musical ideas rather than a traditional form. Beethoven's Symphony No. 2 closes the program without oboe solo duties, built on a graceful slow introduction that opens into a symphony full of good humor, sudden dynamic contrasts, and a scampering finale. Within this frame, an oboist's contribution would likely be most audible in the Stravinsky, where the instrument's woody, penetrating tone often carries the melodic lines that evoke the eighteenth century originals Stravinsky borrowed from.