A Concert honoring the music and life of Dr. Roland Carter will be held on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at 7:30pm. The concert is free and will be held at First Baptist Church, 401 Gateway Avenue, Chattanooga TN. There will also be performances by the Choirs of The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with special guests, the MOREHOUSE Glee Club.
Roland Marvin Carter is a native of Chattanooga, TN. Carter grew up in a family that valued music. He began piano lessons with local teacher Mrs. Alma Stoval. A graduate of Howard High School, Carter studied at Hampton University, earning a BA in music education, and at New York University, where he earned an MA in piano, composition, and choral music.
From 1965 until 1989 he taught music at Hampton University, chairing the department of music and leading the choir. In 1989 he moved to the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga where he directed the choir and continued to teach until his 2013 retirement.
Carter is well known for his work as composer, conductor, arranger, and publisher to promote the choral music of African-American composers. He served as and publishes choral music, especially arrangements of spirituals, through his publishing company MAR-VEL; as a composer, he has created numerous spiritual arrangements himself, as well as composing new choral compositions on a variety of texts. At Carnegie Hall he conducted the first concert in the African-American Music Series. Much of his output has been recorded. As a conductor, Carter has said that he believes in performing spiritual arrangements much as he would the work of Johannes Brahms or Franz Schubert, rather than bringing a more folk-based sensibility to them.
Carter is celebrated for many of his works including::
• Choral compositions and arrangements, especially of African American spirituals, including a definitive arrangement of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” (the “Black National Anthem”)
• Conducting the first concert of the African-American Music Series at Carnegie Hall in the 1960s
• Publishing choral works through his company MAR-VEL, promoting African American composers
Dr. Carter’s career blended teaching, performance, composition, and advocacy, leaving a lasting impact on choral music and African American cultural heritage. His works are performed worldwide, and his life’s work continues to inspire musicians and communities.