Author's note: This information is based on personal information derived from conversations.
Richard Hadden was educated at Rutgers (composition), Princeton Theological Seminary (Master of Divinity). He and his wife earned their Master of Music degrees in piano performance from the University of Michigan in preparation for the opening of Mackinac College as the music faculty in the early 60s.
He was married to Frances Roots Hadden at the Mountain House in Caux, Switzerland.
Prior to assuming faculty positions they performed around the world as duo-pianists and in musical theatre productions. They performed for premiers, presidents and other heads of state and captains of industry.
Following the closure of the college, they began touring colleges, supper clubs, lecture series and music festivals. While on tour, they received an invitation to visit China at the personal invitation of premier Chou En-Lai, a friend of his wife's from her 20 and 30’s childhood in China.
While in China, they performed a concert at the Great Hall of the People, premiering his wife's "Lu Shan: Suite for Two Pianos” making them the first Americans to perform in China since the Cultural Revolution attended by the elite of the PRC. The news was carried in numerous newspapers in the region as well as in American dailies thrusting them into the limelight.
Richard Hadden was one of the founders of the singing touring Up with People in 1968.
In subsequent years they toured annually in the winter through spring months coast-to-coast with their Yamaha grand pianos in a custom designed touring vehicle and as an artist manager representative. They were Yamaha Artists.
They recorded two full-length albums as duo-pianists with music ranging from the Baroque era to 20th century composers. He is the composer of "The Bells with Ring”, the victory revue “You Can Defend America”. Musical credits include the musical “The Crowning Experience”, “Arch Rock" (for two pianos) with Frances Roots Hadden and numerous songs.
Text credit: Kerm Towler, Sep 16th 2023
