Education
- DMA, University of Toronto
Biography
Composer Roger Bergs is a musician of diverse talents and activities. In 1994, he completed his Master of Music degree in Composition at the Juilliard School in New York, where he studied with composer John Corigliano. Previously, he earned his Bachelor of Music degree in Composition at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, where his teachers included Gary Kulesha and Glenn Buhr. Upon graduation from WLU, he was awarded the WLU Alumni Gold Medal in Music. His musical education began at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, where he received his Associateship degree in Piano Performance in 1988. He has also received the Fellowship and Associateship degrees from the Royal Canadian College of Organists, winning the prestigious Willan Scholarship twice. In the fall of 1999 he began doctoral studies in composition at the University of Toronto, studying under Chan Ka Nin.
His compositions have been performed by such ensembles as the Symphony Orchestras of Toronto, Edmonton and Winnipeg, the CBC Vancouver Orchestra, the Esprit Orchestra, the Composers Orchestra, the Hannaford Street Silver Band, the Festival Winds of the Festival of the Sound in Parry Sound, the Aldeburgh Connection, the National Academy Orchestra of the Boris Brott Summer Music Festival, Continuum New Music (Toronto), NUMUS concerts of Waterloo ON, and the Galatea Ensemble (New York), and by such soloists as hornist James Somerville, trombonist Alain Trudel and organist Jan Overduin. He has been awarded prizes in composition competitions sponsored by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, SOCAN, CAPAC, PROCAN, Contemporary Showcase (Toronto) and the Canada Council.
The Hannaford Street Silver Band’s recording of his commissioned work Attractive Metal with hornist James Somerville was recently released by Opening Day records.
He has taught Composition and Music Theory for the Juilliard School, the University of Toronto, Mohawk College in Hamilton, Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City Tennessee and at the North Toronto Institute of Music.
Other musical activities have included a wide variety of arrangements, the preparation of musical documentaries for National Public Radio in New York, assistance with music for the Stratford Festival, and the editing of the orchestral score for the concert performance of the silent film The Battleship Potemkin.He has served as the composition adjudicator for such festivals as Contemporary Showcase (Toronto) and MusicFest '98.
He is in his seventh year Music Director of Knox Presbyterian Church in Toronto, and served as music director the Toronto-based chamber choir Concertsingers for three seasons. He is also active as an organ recitalist.