CSO principal oboe Eugene Izotov leaving for San Francisco

BY ANDREW PATNER | FOR SUN-TIMES MEDIAChicago Symphony Orchestra principal oboe Eugene Izotov said on his Facebook page Monday afternoon that he is leaving the CSO for the same position with the San Francisco Symphony.

Izotov, 41, was appointed to his CSO post by former music director Daniel Barenboim in 2005.

Previously he had spent three years as a principal in the Metropolitan Opera orchestra and prior to that seven years as associate principal in San Francisco, then as now with Michael Tilson Thomas as music director.Related: Principal flutist Mathieu Dufour resigns from CSOIzotov wrote: “This is a deeply personal decision for me since much of my life is connected to these two great American orchestras and cities. As I look forward to making music with maestro Michael Tilson Thomas and my colleagues of the San Francisco Symphony, I know my heart will be filled with wonderful memories of music-making with Chicago Symphony and profound gratitude to maestro Riccardo Muti for his humanity, support, and inspiration.”The CSO Association made no comment except to observe that Izotov has been granted a one-year leave of absence from the orchestra. He is scheduled to play with Chicago through June 2015.