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Principal Trombone

Roger Oyster

Principal Trombonist in the Kansas City Symphony since 1997, Roger Oyster has performed that position as a member or guest in several other orchestras, including the St. Louis Symphony, the National Symphony (Washington, D.C.), the Atlanta Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony, the Detroit Symphony, and the Lyric Opera of Chicago. On his other instrument, the euphonium, in addition to Kansas City and St. Louis, he has played with several orchestras, including the Atlanta Symphony, Detroit Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony, the Pittsburgh Symphony, and the Hong Kong Philharmonic. In all, Roger has performed with sixteen orchestras worldwide. He can be heard on over 60 commercially released recordings with the St. Louis and Kansas City Symphonies, as well as with the Atlanta Symphony, the Detroit Symphony, and the Pittsburgh Symphony; they include many Grammy Award nominees and two Grammy winners, including one with your own Kansas City Symphony. For many years, Roger wrote the “Inside the Music” column for the Kansas City Symphony’s program guide and was also a contributing editor to “Listener” and “Audiophile Voice” magazines, and has been published online at Polyphonic.org. His first job as a musician was in the United States Marine Band (Washington, D.C.), “The President’s Own,” where he was the Principal Euphonium and Euphonium Soloist, appearing as a featured soloist on over 80 concerts and on two national tours. He has also appeared as a soloist with both the Kansas City Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony, Orchestra Iowa, and the United States Army Band, “Pershing’s Own.” Since 1988, he has played Principal Trombone at the Grand Teton Music Festival, held every summer in Jackson, Wyoming. Since 2012, he has been an “Artist in Residence” member of the music faculty at the University of Central Missouri (Warrensburg); a sought after educator, he has presented master classes at many colleges and universities nationwide. In April of 2018, he recorded “The Zodiac Concerto” for Euphonium, French Horn, and Wind Ensemble by Anthony DiLorenzo, with the University of Central Florida Wind Ensemble, which released in late summer 2018 on Flying Horse Records.


Roger Oyster

Principal Trombonist in the Kansas City Symphony since 1997, Roger Oyster has performed that position as a member or guest in several other orchestras, including the St. Louis Symphony, the National Symphony (Washington, D.C.), the Atlanta Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony, the Detroit Symphony, and the Lyric Opera of Chicago. On his other instrument, the euphonium, in addition to Kansas City and St. Louis, he has played with several orchestras, including the Atlanta Symphony, Detroit Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony, the Pittsburgh Symphony, and the Hong Kong Philharmonic. In all, Roger has performed with sixteen orchestras worldwide. He can be heard on over 60 commercially released recordings with the St. Louis and Kansas City Symphonies, as well as with the Atlanta Symphony, the Detroit Symphony, and the Pittsburgh Symphony; they include many Grammy Award nominees and two Grammy winners, including one with your own Kansas City Symphony. For many years, Roger wrote the “Inside the Music” column for the Kansas City Symphony’s program guide and was also a contributing editor to “Listener” and “Audiophile Voice” magazines, and has been published online at Polyphonic.org. His first job as a musician was in the United States Marine Band (Washington, D.C.), “The President’s Own,” where he was the Principal Euphonium and Euphonium Soloist, appearing as a featured soloist on over 80 concerts and on two national tours. He has also appeared as a soloist with both the Kansas City Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony, Orchestra Iowa, and the United States Army Band, “Pershing’s Own.” Since 1988, he has played Principal Trombone at the Grand Teton Music Festival, held every summer in Jackson, Wyoming. Since 2012, he has been an “Artist in Residence” member of the music faculty at the University of Central Missouri (Warrensburg); a sought after educator, he has presented master classes at many colleges and universities nationwide. In April of 2018, he recorded “The Zodiac Concerto” for Euphonium, French Horn, and Wind Ensemble by Anthony DiLorenzo, with the University of Central Florida Wind Ensemble, which released in late summer 2018 on Flying Horse Records.

I have managed to spend my entire working life as a performing musician, and as a Principal Trombonist in major orchestras for over 30 years; I was also the Principal Euphonium and Euphonium Soloist with “The President’s own,” the United States Marine band on my first instrument, the euphonium. While a small number of people have been lucky enough to have done one or the other of those jobs, I’m the only person ever to do both.

Actor, scientist, DIY brain surgeon

Abraham Lincoln said, “I will study and prepare, and perhaps my chance will come.” If you are willing to be a musician and live this quote, you’re on the right path.

When I make it, Panna Cotta (if pudding and ice cream had a baby, it’d be Panna Cotta).

Though I almost never get to play original music on my instrument, there is nobody better than Bach.

“Jeremiah Johnson”, “It’s A Wonderful Life”, “Kung Fu Panda.” (Those are the choices today, anyway…)

The last one (perpetually true).

While there are so, so many excellent BBQ places in this great town, I maintain that the MOST AUTHENTIC place for KC BBQ is LC’s. If you looked up “Old school” in the dictionary, there’d be a picture of their burnt ends there.

You gotta practice every day – though being a musician is a wonderful life, it’s also a life sentence. As hectic as life is on a daily basis, the usual time I practice is “whenever I can.”

What is “Jeopardy”?