Roger Donald Dickerson
Roger Donald Dickerson (born August 24, 1934) is a New Orleans pianist, composer, and educator.[1]
Biography[edit]
Coming from a musical family, Dickerson began piano lessons at 8 years old. In elementary school he played the French horn, baritone and tuba. His experience playing brass instruments continued in college where he played trombone.[2] From a young age, Dickerson was interested in, and influenced by the music of the French Quarter.[2] At 15 Dickerson played in a popular music band called "Roger Dickerson and his Groovy Boys", which played high schools and community centres in his neighbourhood; showing the influence of current New Orleans musical culture.[2] Wallace Davenport, a jazz trumpeter, versed in styes ranging from traditional jazz to bebop,[1] was Dickerson's uncle.[1] From Wallace, Dickerson got his first introductions to harmony, counterpoint and orchestration.[3][1] After high school, Dickerson studied music at Dillard University earning his Bachelor of Music in 1955, then a Master's degree in music from Indiana University in 1957 where he studied with Bernhard Heiden.[1][2][3]
After finishing his Master's degree, Dickerson joined the United States Army. While in the Army, he played in service bands around Europe.[2] After two years in the Army, Dickerson was able to travel to Vienna on a Fulbright Scholarship, where he studied music with Karl Schiske and Alfred Uhl.[4][2][1] In 1965 he was elected to the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Dickerson has received notable commissions, including a series of concert pieces commissioned by the Rockefeller Foundation in 1972,[4] and his New Orleans Concerto, commissioned in 1976 by the New Orlean's Centennial Commission.[2] This concerto serves as the focal point of the 1978 PBS documentary New Orleans Concerto.[3]
Dickerson is a professor emeritus at Southern University of New Orleans (SUNO). There he was the University Choir Director and Music Coordinator.[5] Along with elements of New Orleans culture,[2] Dickerson's work shows the influence of Jazz and Blues music.[3]
Work list[edit]
Orchestral[edit]
- Concert Overture (1957)
- Essay, band (1958)
- Fugue 'n' Blues, jazz orchestra (1959)
- A Musical Service for Louis (1972)
- Orpheus an' His Slide Trombone (J. Greenberg), 1974–1975)
- New Orleans Concerto, for piano & orchestra (1976)
Vocal[edit]
- Fair Dillard (J. N. Barnum), SATB (1955)
- Music I Heard (C. Aiken), for soprano & piano (1956)
- The Negro Speaks of Rivers (L. Hughes), for soprano & piano (1961)
- Ps xlix, SATB, timpani (1979)
- African-American Celebration (Dickerson), SATB (1984)
- Beyond Silence (Dickerson), for soprano, baritone, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani & organ (1986)
Chamber and solo instrumental[edit]
- Prekussion, percussion ensemble (1954)
- Music for Brass, 2 trumpets, trombone (1955)
- Woodwind Trio (1955)
- Das neugeborne Kindelein, chorale prelude, organ (1956)
- Sonatina, piano (1956)
- String Quartet (1956)
- Music for String Trio (1957)
- Scene, horn, string quartet (1959)
- Movement, trumpet, piano (1960)
- Sonata, clarinet, piano (1960)
- Wind Quintet (1961)
- Concert Pieces for Beginning String Players (1972)
- Expressions, violin, piano (1983)
- Incantation, violin, piano (1983)
- Fanfare, 2 trumpets, timpani (1991)
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f Wyatt, Lucius R. (2001). Dickerson, Roger Donald. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.48279.
- ^ a b c d e f g h James E. Hinton. (1977) "New Orleans Concerto". Funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the National Endowment for the Humanities. [Video]. url: https://vimeo.com/201343362. Accessed February 12, 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Roger Donald Dickerson (Composer) – Short Biography". www.bach-cantatas.com. Retrieved 2021-02-19.
- ^ a b "Roger Dickerson". African American Art Song Alliance. Retrieved 2021-02-19.
- ^ "Roger Dickerson". Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong Jazz Camp. Retrieved 2021-02-19.
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