Meet Fantasy and Farewell: Music for Viola and Orchestra violist Roger Myers:
ROGER MYERS was born in Sydney Australia; he has performed to international critical acclaim on four continents, in countries including Austria, Norway, Scotland, China, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico and the USA. He performed with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra while still a student, and later studied in the United States on scholarships with Donald McInnes at the University of Southern California. Roger is Professor and Chairman of Strings at the University of Texas at Austin, and recently received the school’s Teaching Excellence Award. In 2009 he held a Visiting Professorship at the University of Southern California.
The Toronto Star described his playing as “spirited,” and the New Zealand Evening Post proclaimed him a “fine violist” whose playing was “various and entertaining.”
He has collaborated with such distinguished artists as Suren Bagratuni, Jean Barr, Yehonatan Berick, Steve Doane, Jorja Fleezanis, Michael Francis, Lynn Harrell,
Daniel Heifetz, Alex Klein, Ronald Leonard, Brian Lewis, Martin Lovett, Felicia Moye, Anton Nel, Kurt Nikkanen, Mark O’Connor, James Parker, Tsuoshi Tsutsumi, Kathleen
Winkler and Zvi Zeitlin; also the Brentano, Cavani and Miro String Quartets. He has also performed with the London Symphony Orchestra, LA Chamber Orchestra, Santa Fe Pro Musica, Camerata Pacifica and Da Camera of Houston. In 2005 Roger enjoyed a successful Carnegie Hall debut.
Roger has been in steady demand at some of the nation’s most prestigious summer festivals, including Music Academy of the West, Bowdoin Summer Music Festival, Festival Institute at Round Top, Niagara International Chamber Music Festival, Marrowstone, and Green Mountain; he also appeared at the Festival de Musique in St. Barthelemy. He served as Artistic Director of the XXV Silver Anniversary International Viola Congress, and was a featured soloist on the 100th birthday tribute concert to the great violist William Primrose at the XXXII International Viola Congress in Minneapolis.
He has performed several notable world premieres, to include Kevin Puts’ Piano Quintet with the Texas Piano Quartet in 2006, and Michael McLean’s Suite for Viola and
Orchestra in 2008. In the summer of 2009 he performed in the Mid-West premiere of violinist Mark O’Connor’s String Quartet No. 3 with the composer; and performed Peter Askim’s Viola Concerto at Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2011. Roger plays a rare and beautiful J.B. Guadagnini viola made in 1763. This is his first release on the Delos Label.
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