Trio Opens OBU Recital Season

August 27, 2001

Oklahoma Baptist University's Warren M. Angell College of Fine Arts will begin its fall season with a piano, cello, and clarinet trio Tuesday, Aug. 28, at 7:30 p.m in the university's Yarborough Auditorium. OBU associate professor of music and clarinetist Dr. Christopher Bade, cellist Richard Bell and pianist Dr. Digby Bell will perform selections by Bach, Barber and Brahms written for the three instruments.

Bade serves as associate professor of music at OBU where he has taught since 1995. He appeared at the 2000 International Clarinet Association ClarFest with the premiere performance of the winning composition. Bade often plays with the Tulsa Philharmonic and the Oklahoma City Philharmonic on clarinet and bass clarinet.

He earned an undergraduate degree from Illinois Wesleyan University, a master's of music degree from University of Akron and a doctorate degree in musical arts from the University of Illinois.

Richard Bell, a Norman native, has served as associate principal cellist of the Columbus (Ohio) Symphony Orchestra since 1978 and is a founding member of the Seraphin Trio.

He teaches at Otterbein University and has a private studio. He earned a bachelor's of music degree from the University of Iowa and a master's of music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music.

Digby Bell joined University of Oklahoma's piano faculty in 1953 and, upon his retirement in 1990, was named professor emeritus. He was a member of the University Trio for 10 years and also performed as soloist with the Oklahoma City Symphony.

Bell has been active in the Oklahoma Music Teachers Association and the Music Teachers National Association. Earlier this year, Bell was named an MTNA Foundation Fellow and was elected by OMTA to receive the 2001 Distinguished Teacher Award.

He earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Michigan and a doctor of musical arts degree from the University of North Texas.

He and his wife, Dr. Carol Ann Bell, associate professor of piano at OBU, are well known in Oklahoma as a piano duo.