Roger Rooman

Roger Laurent Rooman (24 July 1948 – 15 August 1996) was an Australian composer of classical music, known for his orchestral and chamber works, particularly for string instruments. His compositions span from mid-1965 until his death. They are considered unique and original, untraceable to any school or style. Early life and education Rooman was born in Maldon, Victoria. His forbears were from France, Belgium and England. He spent most of his life in Melbourne. He studied mathematics and science at Monash University. Rooman developed an interest in classical music during his teenage years and decided to pursue composition. After receiving some initial instruction from a family friend, he continued largely as a self-taught composer. Compositional history Rooman’s earliest known composition is a Tone poem in A minor for orchestra, written in 1965. A little later he composed tone poems in E minor, C-sharp minor, and D minor and a clarinet quintet in B minor. From 1969, Rooman began to evolve his style, moving away from traditional, strict key centers toward a more flexible harmonic approach. While his music became more experimental and complex, he stopped short of full atonality, ensur