Roland Carter

1942 -

About

Roland Carter (b. 1942) is a distinguished composer, conductor, educator, and pianist. During his 23-year tenure at The University of Tennessee Chattanooga, Professor Carter conducted choirs, taught classes, accompanied recitals, arranged music, funded concerts, fostered inter-departmental productions, chaired the department, mentored and recruited students, and promoted affirmative action while at all times retaining the demeanor of a true professional. Roland Carter served as the Ruth S. Holmberg UTC Foundation Professor of Music at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Carter served as Head of the Cadek Department of Music and Conservatory for six years (1989-1995). Prior to returning to his hometown to accept this assignment, he served as Chair of the Department of Music at Hampton (Institute) University and director of its internationally acclaimed choirs for nearly a quarter century. Carter's list of presentations during the past forty-eight years is impressive. It includes concerts in the nation’s most prestigious venues and with major orchestras; lectures, workshops, master classes, and festivals for schools, churches, colleges, and universities, and national associations throughout the country. His compositions and arrangements are performed by music organizations throughout the world. Carter has produced, appeared on, and served as consultant for national and international radio and television programs. For his notable contributions to the performance and preservation of African American music, Carter's biography and list of compositions are included in Our Musical Heritage, a catalog published jointly by Carl Fischer Music and the National Association of Negro Musicians; his bio also appears in the International Dictionary of Black Composers and the soon to be released updated edition of The New Grove Dictionary of American Music. He has received national awards from, and has been recognized by the National Association of Negro Musicians, the National Black Music Caucus, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfornia, and Sigma Iota Theta Music Fraternities. He was selected to conduct the inaugural concert of the African American Music Series at Carnegie Hall. He has received the Tennessee Governor’s Arts Award and his contributions have been recognized by universities throughout the country including an honorary doctorate from Shaw University in Raleigh, NC. Carter shares with Robert Shaw and Leonard DePaur the honor of being one of three musicians to receive honorary membership to the Morehouse College Glee Clubthroughout its history. In addition to teaching and performing, Carter has an outstanding record in arts advocacy and service. A life member of the National Association of Negro Musicians, Carter has served on its Board of Directors, Chair of the Committee on Choral Standards, and national President. He is a life member of the American Choral Directors Association. He has held seats on several national, regional, and local (boards?) including the Chattanooga African American Museum, the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera Association, Allied Arts of Chattanooga (ArtsBuild), Tennessee Arts Commission, National Association of Arts Agencies, Southern Arts Exchange, the League of American Symphony Orchestras and SPHINX. He has served the music ministries of First Baptist Church (East Eighth Street, Chattanooga), Christian Faith Baptist Church, Raleigh, NC, First Christian Church, Hopkinsville, KY, and was music director for the Hampton University Ministers Conference. For his monumental contributions to church music an annual national award is presented in his honor – The Roland M. Carter Lifetime Achievement Award. Currently, he is the Ruth S. Holmberg Professor of American Music in the Department of Music at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) and the founder and CEO of MAR-VEL, a publisher specializing in music by African American composers and traditions.

Related Information

http://rolandcarter.com/RolandMCarter.htm, http://rolandcarter.com

Works by Roland Carter