William Roper

William Roper (b. 1955) is a multimedia artist whose primary instruments are tuba and primitive aerophones. His work is located in African American oral traditions and explores the histories and myths of place, ethnicity, culture, and self. He is a storyteller, a griot.

As a tubaist, Roper has toured throughout the Americas, Europe, and Japan, performing as a soloist and with ensembles. He has released 15 recordings as a leader or co-leader and appears on more than 70 recordings, including projects with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Wadada Leo Smith, Wild Up, Yusef Lateef, Anthony Braxton, Vinny Golia, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Bobby Bradford, and others. Since the mid-1980s, Roper has been a core member of Los Angeles community arts ensemble The Pan Afrikan People’s Arkestra.

Roper has founded and led several ensembles, including Purple Gums, Judicanti Responsura, and CuZns. In 1995, he founded Tomato Sage Consortium, a nonprofit organization and record label dedicated to the creation, performance, and documentation of new works of art, particularly composed and improvised music, performance art, dance, theater, and video.

The Scalene Triangle, a new collaborative album with saxophonists and fellow Arkestra members Devin Daniels and Randal Fisher, is out August 21st on Minaret Records.

The Scalene Triangle brings together an intergenerational trio of musicians born and raised in South Central Los Angeles: Roper (71), Fisher (36), and Daniels (29). The project took shape over four meetings, where the three shared stories and memories of growing up while also creating drawings in response to their conversations. Roper later composited the drawings into four graphic scores, which became the foundation for the music on the album. 

4 songs, 82 minutes, 3 distinct voices coming together as one … unequally. Pre-order the album now on bandcamp and get an exclusive single “Vortex” 📐

Bandcamp