Roland Carter

Professor Emeritus, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Composer, arranger, conductor, pianist, scholar, researcher, teacher... Roland M. Carter is the UTC Holmberg Professor of American Music. 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 effectively promoted affirmative action.

Carter has presented and performed 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. He is in constant demand as guest conductor and lecturer and maintains a very active schedule of workshops and performances.

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 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 Sinfonia, 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 Governors 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 only three musicians ever to receive honorary membership in the Morehouse College Glee Club.

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. Carter has served as a member and co-chair of the NEA Music Advisory Panels for Choruses. He has held seats on several national, regional, and local 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 is founder and CEO of MAR-VEL, a publisher specializing in music by African American composers and traditions.