A. Clyde Roller

Who was A. Clyde Roller?

Archibald Clyde Roller was an American music professor and conductor.

Roller, a native of Rogersville, Missouri, received his musical education at the Eastman School of Music, graduating in 1941. Roller was the principal oboist with several orchestras: the Oklahoma City Symphony from 1937 to 1939, the Birmingham Symphony from 1940 to 1942, and the Tulsa Philharmonic. He also conducted the Southern Methodist University Orchestra from 1947 to 1948.

Returning to Eastman in 1963, he was ensembles professor at Eastman. For Mercury Records in 1963, he conducted the Eastman Wind Ensemble in Vittorio Giannini's Symphony No. 3 and Alan Hovhaness's Symphony No. 4. Roller served in similar positions at the University of Houston, University of Texas at Austin, Southern Methodist University, University of Wisconsin–Madison, and Michigan. He was a conductor and faculty member teaching oboe at the Interlochen Center for the Arts 1951–2004. He was the resident conductor of the Houston Symphony Orchestra, musical director and conductor of the Lansing Symphony Orchestra 1967–1978 and Amarillo Symphony 1948–1962. He also guest conducted the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Roller and Arthur Fiedler also swapped conducting roles on occasion, with Fiedler taking the Amarillo Symphony and Roller conducting the Boston Pops Orchestra. He was a favorite of New Zealand, having appeared there six times to take the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra on tour, recording with them for television and radio, and also performing with the Royal Christchurch Society in an All-Beethoven concert.