Acclaimed violist Roger Myers has performed in concerts around the world in countries across four continents, including Austria, Norway, Scotland, China, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico & USA.
He has been associated with some of the nation’s most prestigious summer music festivals including the Music Academy of the West, Bowdoin Summer Music Festival, Green Mountain, the International Festival Institute and the Marrowstone Music Festival. In June of 1997 he served as the youngest ever Artistic Director and Host Chairman of the XXV Silver Anniversary Viola congress. He has served seven summers on the faculty of the Idyllwild Arts Summer Music Program in California and taught at the Beijing International Music Festaval and Academy and the International School for Musical Arts in Canada. He regularly performs at the Festival de Musique on the French West Indian island of St. Barthelemy and he is the founder and Artistic Director of the Blanton Chamber Music Series at the Blanton Museum in Austin.
Roger Myers was born in Sydney, Australia where he played with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra while still a student. He has lived in the United States since 1987 when his Sydney Conservatorium String Quartet was invited to become the international Quartet in Residence at Michigan State University. Later he studied on scholarships with Donald McInnes at the University of Southern California and, upon completion of his Masters degree, the string faculty named him its Most Outstanding Graduate of the Year.
He has given chamber music performances with such artists as Lynn Harrell, Jean Barr, Martin Canin, Michael Francis, Daniel Heifetz, Alex Klein, Mark O’Connor, Miro String Quartet, Dorian Wind Quintet, et al. He has performed with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, as Principal Violist with the Santa Fe Pro Musica and also as Principal Viola with the New West Symphony Orchestra in Los Angeles on tour with Andrea Bocelli. Chamber performances include concerts with the Camerata Pacifica in California, at the Niagara International Chamber Music Festival in Canada and most recently with the Da Camera of Houston. In 2004 Roger was the featured soloist on the 100th birthday tribute concert to violist William Primrose at the XXXII International Viola Congress in Minneapolis, and in 2005 enjoyed a successful Carnegie Hall debut with the newly formed Texas Piano Quartet. In addition, he has also presented Master Classes internationally.
Roger has performed various important World Premiere’s, including the "Piano Quintet" by Kevin Puts with the Texas Piano Quartet (2006) and Michael McLean’s "Suite for Viola and Orchestra" (2008). He performed in the Mid-West Premiere of violinist Mark O’Connor’s "Third String Quartet" with the composer (2009) and in May of 2011 he performed the World Premiere in Los Angeles of a "Viola Concerto" written for him by composer Peter Askim.
Currently, he is Professor and Head of The String Division at the University of Texas at Austin, and was the recipient in 2007 of the School of Music Teaching Excellence Award.
In Spring 2013 Roger Myers released his debut solo CD "Fantasy and Farewell" (Delos) which features music for Viola & Orchestra by McLean, Schumann & Shostakovich, performed with the London Symphony, recorded at Abbey Road studios. Roger Myers latest recording, Viola Music of the Bach Family (2017, Notos 001) features a World Premiere recording of a recently discovered work by J. J. Quantz, discovered and realized by Roger Myers.
Roger Myers plays a beautiful and rare J.B. Guadagnini viola from Parma made in 1763.