OU announced on Wednesday that an OU student earned a seat in the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra.
Psychology junior Hope Bellows was selected through an audition process as the second-chair trombone for the orchestra, a prestigious position for a college student, according to an OU press release.
Oklahoma City Philharmonic was founded in 1988 by Joel Levine, who served as director for 30 years. The orchestra performs classics, orchestral pops and discovery family concerts, as well as a variety of community engagements. The orchestra’s mission is to provide inspiration and joy for the community through orchestral music.
The daughter of two band directors, Bellows comes from a musical family. She has a minor in music and has been playing the trombone since seventh grade.
Bellows credits her success to her trombone professors, Irv Wagner and William Lang.
“Through OU, I have been provided with countless opportunities to perform, take lessons and volunteer for playing opportunities,” Bellows said in the release. “Each of these opportunities has shaped me into the musician that I am today. I owe a lot of thanks to the two amazing trombone professors that I have at OU, professors Irv Wagner and William Lang.”
Wagner taught Bellows in high school and was her first trombone professor at OU. He was the second-chair trombone at the OKC Philharmonic for years, a legacy that Bellows has the opportunity to carry on.
“Doc Wagner’s talent and passion for the trombone were always so inspirational and he was always so supportive. He encouraged me to audition,” Bellows said in the release.
The audition consisted of two rounds, a blind audition that contained four trombone orchestral excerpts and a second audition in front of a committee, which involved playing five orchestral excerpts and an unaccompanied trombone solo piece, according to the release.
Bellows said in the release that Lang assisted her through the audition process, providing her with resources such as orchestral excerpt reading days and recordings of the excerpts.
“Listening to each of the orchestral pieces that I had to prepare was essential in my preparation. It allowed me to understand the context of the piece and how the second trombone part fits into the orchestra,” Bellows said in the release.
OU Orchestral Studies Director Jonathan Shames said in the release that he worked with Bellows in the OU Symphony and was not surprised to hear of her success.
“She brings high intelligence and musicianship to her playing and has an innate feel for playing within an orchestra, blending her sound with the entirety of voices,” Shames said. “I look forward very much to following her progress.”
In the fall, Bellows will balance her role as a student with her position in the orchestra, which she said has varying rehearsal and performance times.
“There are always several rehearsal days leading up to performances. And sometimes, there are two performances in one day,” Bellows said in the release. “Luckily, most rehearsals and performances are in the evening, so I will be able to find a way to balance school with performances and rehearsals.”
OKC Philharmonic Director Alexander Mickelthwate said in the release he looks forward to Bellows joining the orchestra and that she will fit right in.
“We are really excited for Hope,” Mickelthwate said in the release. “It is wonderful when we can tap into the young, talented players from the local Oklahoma universities. Hope fits right in with her sound and energy, and it will be a real pleasure working with her.”
Bellows told OU Daily she performed with the OKC Philharmonic for its Independence Day performances but will begin officially playing with the orchestra in September at the start of its new season.
This story was edited by Ana Barboza and Taylor Jones. Chelsea Rose and Avery Avery copy edited this story.
