Groth Music Company - Christa Frye

Christa Frye is currently Chair of the Division of Music and Religion and Assistant Professor of Music at Bethel University in McKenzie, Tennessee where she teaches clarinet, and saxophone, as well as woodwind methods, popular music history, and aural skills.

Dr. Frye is the clarinetist for Duo Atypique, with her trombonist husband. Additionally, she has performed in the University Trio, Faculty Woodwind Trio, the UTM Chamber Players, and continues to perform on Bb, A, and Eb clarinets with the Paducah Symphony.

Dr. Frye is in demand as a performing artist across the southeastern United States. In 2024, Duo Atypique premiered a new work titled “On the rim of thin places” by Rachel DeVore Fogarty at the International Trombone Festival in Ft. Worth, TX and in 2023, Dr. Frye performed at Clarinetfest during the 50th year anniversary of the conference with Milan Rericha, Nadia Sofokleous, and Julia Heinen. In 2021 Duo Atypique premiered a new work, entitled “Souq!” by Andrew Markel at the International Trombone Festival in Columbus, GA, and in 2019 they performed at the International Trombone Festival in Muncie, IN and ClarinetFest in Knoxville, TN. In 2018, The University Trio gave a concert at the National Conference for the College Music Society in conjunction with the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors in Vancouver, Canada. She has performed at the Annual Woodwind Day hosted by the University of Tennessee at Martin Woodwind Students' Association, Marshall University’s Single Reed Day in Huntington, West Virginia, and as soloist with the Odessa College Band, in Odessa, Texas. She has also performed numerous recitals, including a guest recital at Marshall University, in Huntington, West Virginia where she gave a masterclass to the clarinet students of Dr. Ann Marie Bingham.

Dr. Frye performs on is a performing artist for RZ Woodwinds, performing on RZ Capriccio Bb/A clarinets and Bohema Eb clarinet, and is also an endorsing artist for Chedeville Mouthpieces, performing on the Umbra and Elite F1 models. In addition Dr. Frye is an artist for the Lomax Classic company, keeping her clarinets safe in the Humidipro Clarinet Double Clarinet Case. Her primary clarinet teachers include Ann Marie Bingham, Gary Sperl, Deborah Bish, Frank Kowalsky and Richard MacDowell.

Dr. Frye holds a B.M. in Music Education from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, a M.M in Clarinet Performance from the Florida State University, and a D.M.A. in Clarinet Performance from the University of Texas at Austin.