Scott Roller

Cellist, born 1959 in Amarillo/Texas, based in Germany since 1984. University studies (Cello/Composition) in Texas (Austin, Denton) and Paris, France. From 1980-83 worked with the free improvising quartet BL Lacerta on a Chamber Music America residency in Dallas, Texas, which was very significant in the formation of his concept of free improvisation. German resident since 1983. Cellist in the Dortmund Philharmonic 1987-90. Since then, active as a free-lance cellist and composer, solo and with various ensembles: Musikfabrik NRW, Wolpe Trio, Helios Streichquartett, Ensemble Modern Orchester, Ensemble Gelberklang, Mike Svoboda Ensemble, Ensemble Recherche, among many more. Performed with these ensembles many world premiers and worked closely with many well-known composers such as Kaija Saariaho, James Tenney, Helmut Lachenmann and Nicolaus A. Huber. Musical collaboration with artists of diverse means has played a significant role in the past 30 years of his career, especially with dancer/choreographers (Dyane Neiman, Christine Brunel, Nina Kurzeja), visual artists, multi-media theater and literature – such as his collaboration 2011-12 with the Stuttgart slam poet and literate Timo Brunke on the Theaterhaus production “The Transition of the Western World.” In 2005 he and Ulrike Stortz founded Open_Music in Stuttgart, a non-profit organisation for improvisation and alternative artistic education in schools. Their work with pupils and students from a wide spectrum of social backgrounds has grown very rapidly with generous support from city, state, national agencies and private foundations and received many prizes and awards. Open_Music has, in the past 7 years, come to play a very significant role in Scott Roller’s work. Both in his artistic and educational work, Scott seeks new connections between forms of expression, trans-stylistic paths, fertile fields between structure and freedom.