For Roland

April 13, 1961-March 21, 2008

Roland was one of the first flutists I met through my REAL FLUTE project on youtube. He was a regular contributor the Galway Flute Chat and often posted youtube video performances of flute duets with his lovely young daughter.  His positive energy and enthusiasm made him a cherished friend to flutists worldwide.   To read a message from Roland’s sister following his death, click here.

Following Roland’s death, flutist Catherine LeGrand commissioned composer Rick Arnest to write a flute quartet to be played at Roland’s memorial service. Le Tombeau de Roland: per aspera ad astra is a lovely piece and I recently had the pleasure to give the work’s North American premiere at Trinity Episcopal Church in Covington, Kentucky. You can hear a recording of the performance by Dr. Nina Perlove, Ashley Steffen, JoAnne Loftus, and Dr. Rodney Hill by clicking the small arrow under the image to the right.

You can get the score by clicking here.

You can get composer’s notes by clicking TombeauDeRoland_PerfNotes.pdf.

click arrow above to hear Tombeau de Roland: per aspera ad astra by Rick Arnest.

Tombeau de Roland: per aspera ad astra by Rick Arnest