A member of the Cornish faculty since 1979, Roger Nelson performs frequently as a pianist and conductor. He holds a B.A. degree from Pomona College and an M.M. in Choral Conducting from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. His early teachers were Adolph Baller and John Steele Ritter. As a pianist, he frequently accompanies for singers and instrumentalists.

Nelson’s previous conducting appearances have included engagements with the Minnesota Opera’s New Music Theater Ensemble, the George Coates Performance Works, and the Floating Opera on Puget Sound. Nelson also served as conductor of the Bainbridge Orchestra from 1987 to 2000 and was the pianist with the New Performance Group from 1979 until 1997. During the 1997 – 98 academic year, Nelson was a visiting professor at Qufu Teachers University in China.

As a composer, Nelson has produced a book of fiddle tunes for violin and piano in a variety of styles. He has written more than 1,500 fiddle tunes as well as choral works and ensemble pieces. He currently conducts and sings with Canzonetta, an a cappella ensemble, conducts the Seattle Chinese Orchestra, and conducts music theater in Ketchikan, Alaska.