Skip Navigation

OU Music Student Secures Prestigious Position in OKCPHIL

NEWS
Hope Bellows holding a trombone.
Hope Bellows, a psychology student at the University of Oklahoma, has earned a seat as the second-chair trombone in the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra.

OU Music Student Secures Prestigious Position in OKCPHIL


By

Date

July 16, 2024

Media Contact

Lorene Roberson
lar@ou.edu


NORMAN, OKLA. – There’s no doubt that Hope Bellows was destined for a career in music. Her parents are both band directors and her two siblings also play instruments. Bellows herself took up the trombone in seventh grade.

Today, the Moore resident is a junior studying psychology at the University of Oklahoma. Her minor in music, however, is taking her places she had only dreamed of as a high school student. Bellows recently auditioned and earned a seat as the second-chair trombone in the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra.

It’s rare for a college student to earn such a seat.

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Hope in the OU Symphony during the past year and am delighted and 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. I look forward very much to following her progress,” said Jonathan Shames, D.M.A., director of OU’s Orchestral Studies program.

Bellows is ecstatic about her acceptance.

“I have attended OKCPHIL concerts many times and the idea of playing alongside these amazing musicians in a professional orchestra was something I have always dreamed of,” she said.

The audition itself consisted of two rounds. The first round was a blind audition that contained four different trombone orchestral excerpts. The second round was in front of a committee, which involved playing five orchestral excerpts and an unaccompanied trombone solo piece.

Bellows attributes her successful audition to OU trombone professor William Lang.

“Professor Lang provided me with numerous resources to aid in the audition process. This included orchestral excerpt reading days with a full trombone section with lessons and access to recordings of each excerpt. 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,” she said.

Bellows says OU has played a major role in her musical development.

“Through OU, I have been provided with countless opportunities to perform, take lessons and volunteer for playing opportunities. 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,” she said.

Wagner taught Bellows in high school later becoming her first trombone professor at OU. She now sits in the chair of the longtime OU trombone professor who was the orchestra’s second trombonist for many years. Known to his students as Doc Wagner, he died in 2023.

“Doc Wagner’s talent and passion for the trombone were always so inspirational and he was always so supportive. He encouraged me to audition,” she said.

Balancing academic responsibilities and musical commitments can be challenging, but Bellows manages with a detailed planner.

“Sometimes, I will have a concert on the same night that I have a large homework assignment due. For these days, I get my homework completed before the due date, so I am not stressed the day it is due,” she said.

Looking ahead, Bellows anticipates a busy fall semester.

“My rehearsal and performance schedule varies each week,” Bellows said. “There are always several rehearsal days leading up to performances. And sometimes, there are two performances in one day. 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.”

OKCPHIL music director Alexander Mickelthwate looks forward to Bellows joining the orchestra.

“We are really excited for Hope. 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,” Mickelthwate said.

About the University of Oklahoma

Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. OU was named the state’s highest-ranking university in U.S. News & World Report’s most recent Best Colleges list. For more information about the university, visit ou.edu.

About the Oklahoma City Philharmonic

OKC Philharmonic was founded in 1988 and celebrates over 30 years of beautiful music in Oklahoma City. Under the direction of Alexander Mickelthwate, 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. For more information, visit okcphil.org.


Recent News

Campus & Community
October 04, 2024

Professor and Chairman of The Department of Urology Accepted as Member of Prestigious Clinical Society for Genitourinary Surgeons

Michael S. Cookson, M.D., was recently accepted as a member of the prestigious Clinical Society for Genitourinary Surgeons, a society that promotes top-tier education of reconstructive urology, supports research in tissue engineering and the design of medical devices, and supports its members to become international leaders and experts in transitional care medicine and surgery as well as cancer survivorship care.


Campus & Community
October 04, 2024

OU Faculty Awarded NEH Grant to Explore Visual Culture of the American West

Three faculty members from the University of Oklahoma have received a $219,407 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to support a 2025 summer institute, “Visual Wests."


Campus & Community
October 03, 2024

OU Announces New Associate Vice President and Institutional Equity Officer

The University of Oklahoma has named Marci Gracey as the university’s new Associate Vice President and Institutional Equity Officer, effective Oct. 5, pending final approval of the OU Board of Regents.