Roper: Events of Interest - 2012


William Roper_Pomona Drags, Riverside Museum of Photography
The Pomona Drags

  • November 3, I'll be part of Gregory Lenczycki's contribution to Kathleen Johnson's "Brainchild." Click here. To be performed at Human Resources in Chinatown. Further details to be announced.
  • October 25 - 28, I will participate with Heidi Duckler's Dance Theatre's production "Catch Your Breath" at Barlow Respiratory Hospital." Inspired by the individuals whose lives have been changed as a result of their time at Barlow, HDDT will highlight the hospital's past, while celebrating its future through captivating live performance. Click here for details.
  • October 6, I'll perform with the Luckman Jazz Orchestra in its tribute to Kenny Dorham with special guest Barbara Morrison at 8:00PM at the Luckman Theatre. Click here for details and ticket information.
Details will be added as they become available. This tour is: Funded in part through NewMusicUSA's Metlife Creative Connections program. 
  • May 19, 2012, I'll be playing with the Luckman Jazz Orchestra. This time it will be A Tribute to Charlie Parker. Click here for info.
  • March 10, 2012, I'll be playing with the Luckman Jazz Orchestra. George McMullen has been complaining, but now the trombone players will finally get there due as the orchestra presents A Tribute to J.J. Johnson. Click here for info.
  • Feb. 28, 2012, Judicanti Responsura, performs in the afternoon at Otis Art Institute, in Los Angeles.
  • Feb. 27, 2012, Judicanti Responsura, performs on the series "Creative Alarm Inventions," at Cal State University Dominguez Hills, in Carson, CA.
  • Jan. 21, 2012, I'll be playing with the Luckman Jazz Orchestra. A Tribute to Hank Mobley. Click here for info.
  • Oct. 20, Chobraty plays on Palomar College's Concert Hour. Concerts take place in the Performance Lab (Room D-10). Doors open at 12:20,with seating on a first-come first-served basis. The program begins at 12:30 and ends at 1:20. Late arrivals are admitted to the hall and seated during a performance pause as long as seats are available. There is no charge for admission.
  • Oct. 5, I will be performing a solo set on Earmeal. This is a web streamed event on Oct. 5 at from 9:30 -10:00 PM PST. http://laartstream.com/ear-meal.
  • Sept. 24, I'll be playing with the Luckman Jazz Orchestra. This time it is a Tribute to Horace Silver. Saturday, September 24, 2011 at 8:00PM, Luckman website says $25 - $35, but the first concert of the season is usually outdoors and free. Check back to see if the admission price changes. The Harriet and Charles Luckman Fine Arts Complex, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA, 90032, California State University, Los Angeles | info@luckmanarts.org | Phone: 323-343-6600.
  • Sept. 13, Chobraty plays at Los Angeles City College's Concert Series. Los Angeles City College, 855 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90029. 12:10 - 1:10 PM. Click here for info. These concerts start on time and end on time.
  • May22, the Santa Cecilia Orchestra once again celebrates the glory of México! Conducted by Sonia Marie De Leon de Vega, the orchestra presents music of Daniel Catán, Mexico's pre-eminent living composer and adds 14 percussionists to perform Silvestre Revueltas’s La Noche de los Mayas (The Night of The Mayas). I have listed this concert because I will play the caracol (conch) part in the Revueltas. It is a stand-out part (I lead the people into battle) and a bit of fun. And yes, it will be over in plenty of time for you to get down to Disney Hall for the Ellington concert. Sunday, May 22, 2011, 4 PM. Occidental College,  Thorne Hall, 1600 Campus Road, Los Angeles. Prices: $26, $20, $7 (youth), Info: http://scorchestra.org/concerts.html#mexicosinfoinco.
  • May 22, the L.A. Master Chorale will present music from the Sacred Concerts by Duke Ellington. Master Chorale conduct Grant Gershon shares the podium with James Newton to conduct 110 singers, jazz orchestra, soloists, and tap dancer in this extroverted work. I will play in the band (jazz orchestra). Los Angeles Master Chorale: Ellington: Best of the Sacred Concerts. Sunday, May 22, 2011, 7:00PM, Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012, 323.850.2000. Info: http://lamc.org/1011-110522-concert.php.
  •  May 7, Cindy Bernard presents The Inquisitive Musician!, as a part of the Late Night at LACMA series. <I><B>The Inquisitive Musician is a translation and adaptation of a 17th century German satire attributed to Johann Kuhnau, "Musicus Curiosus, or Battalus, the Inquisitive Musician; the Struggle for Precedence between the Kunst Pfeifer and the Common Players". The satire pits itinerant “beer fiddlers” against the official “Kunstpfeifer” in an argument over who is the better musician – those who play tunes by ear and memory or the “Kunstpfeifer” who relies on printed music in order to perform. I will play a tuba of some sort and read the part of Enantius. Saturday, May 7. Tentatively, festivities will start at 8pm with a beer garden and an opening performance with the reading of the play comencing at 9pm. LACMA, in the BP Plaza (that's the outdoor plaza next to BCAM and just behind the Chris Burden street lamps)., off Wilshire Blvd. Click here for documentation of the complete project.
  • April 10, An Afternoon of Music - In conjunction with William Leavitt: Theater Objects, the artist presents an afternoon of live music, with performances of original compositions by Judicanti Responsura - William Roper - tubas/Joseph Mitchell - percussion and Joseph Hammer, as well as works by Kraig Grady. Sunday, April 10, 3:00 PM, MOCA Grand Avenue, Ahmanson Auditorium, FREE. Click here for a review of the exhibition.
  • April 3, I will participate in an event by choreographer Perpetua. It is a site-specific guerilla performance involving 16 dancers and a band including drums, bass, melodic, violin, tuba, conch, et al. Performance lasts about 30 minutes. Sunday, April 3, 4 PM, at the 'pylon' hill (pylons for the old Red Car bridge) on the southwest corner of Fletcher and Riverside in Silverlake, directly behind the ARCO gas station (Home Restaurant is across the street). FREE. Click here for photos from this event.
  • March 12, The Luckman Jazz Orchestra pays homage to Los Angeles native Dexter Gordon. If you click here you will find some info on the concert_eventually . I'll update that page as soon as I can. The basics are: LJO: TRIBUTE TO DEXTER GORDON, March 12, 8:00 PM, Luckman Fine Arts Complex, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032 on the Cal State University, Los Angeles campus. Ticket prices: $25.00/$30.00/$35.00
  • Feb. 26, SASSAS presents AD HOC #2: DAVID GRUBBS and DAVID WATSON plus Joe Berardi, Dan Clucas, Joe Potts, Steve Roden, William Roper and more. This will be a site-specific sonic exploration of the Beacon Arts Building's fourth floor. Beacon Arts, 808 N. La Brea Ave., Inglewood, CA 90302. Doors open at 8:00 PM. This event is FREE. Click here for photos of this event.
  • I have two images in the City of Los Angeles' 2010 African American Heritage Month Calendar and Guide. Click here, then download the .pdf version on the guide. My images are on pages 72 & 74.
The "lite" bio
 The other bio
 Discography
 Compositions
Judicanti Responsura
 Chobraty
 Land Ob Cotton
 Abe Lincoln

Watch a video portrait of Roper from Joseph Santarromana's series The Rememberers.

Watch Roper's October 5th improvised performance on Ear Meal.

William Roper is a Miraphone artist and plays Warburton mouthpieces.

See the video of Fanfares and Arhoolies on youtube


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