He is a double bass player born in Philadelphia who began teaching himself to play the bass in high school. After graduation he studied at Philadelphia’s University of the Sciences where he earned his BSc in Pharmacy in 1966. He went on to study the double bass at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.
Following a career as a musician he performed with the Lyric Opera Orchestra from 1969 to 1973 and was Principal Double Bass with the Delaware Symphony. He was Principal Double Bass with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra from 1973 to 1976 and became a member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1976 after being appointed by Sir Georg Solti. He retired from the orchestra in 2020 and in 2022 he was awarded the Theodore Thomas Medallion in recognition of his service to the CSO.
Recordings he has performed on include Corigliano: Symphony No. 1, Arnold Schonberg: Transfigured Night Op. 4/Piano Pieces Op. 11 & 19/Five Orchestral Pieces Op.16, Samuel Barber: The Lovers; Prayers of Kierkegaard, Wagner: Overtures and Preludes, Carter/Berio/Takemitsu: Partita-Continuo-Visions and Brahms: Violin Concerto/Sonata No. 3 by Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Yellowstone: The Music of Nature, A Fresh Aire Christmas and Christmas Celebration by Mannheim Steamroller.
His wife, Bonita, is a violinist with the Lyric Opera Orchestra of Chicago and his daughter, Gina, is a violinist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
He performs here…
Sources:
- https://csosoundsandstories.org/joseph-dibello-bass/
- https://cso.org/experience/article/13495/retired-bassist-joseph-dibello-donates-his-ra
- http://www.chicagosymphonymusicians.com/joseph-dibello.html
- https://cso.org/experience/article/3122/in-the-groove-four-cso-musicians-explain-thei
- https://www.stokowski.org/Chicago_Symphony_Musicians_List.htm
- https://csoarchives.wordpress.com/2013/06/17/all-in-the-family-part-1/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-di-bello-162546110
- https://www.allmusic.com/artist/joseph-dibello-mn0001598751
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/1591760-Joseph-Di-Bello