Gretchen Schneider Roper

Gretchen Schneider Roper is the Second Clarinetist with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra and has played with the CSO since 2006. Before moving to Charleston, Gretchen pursued a Master of Music degree at the University of Minnesota. She earned her Bachelor’s degree, Magna cum Laude, from Duquesne University, in Pittsburgh, PA. Her primary teachers include Michael Rusinek, Ron Samuels, Burt Hara and David Weber. Mrs. Roper has also attended and participated in master classes given by David Schifrin, Mark Nuccio, and Richard Stoltzman.

Gretchen has performed with The Minnesota Orchestra, The National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute’s Festival Orchestra in Washington D.C., and various other professional groups in the Minneapolis, Pennsylvania, and New York/New Jersey areas. Gretchen was also a counselor at Oneonta’s Hartwick Summer Music Festival, and frequently performed and coached chamber music there. 

In 2010, Gretchen attended the Banff Centre in Banff, Canada, and participated in the Festival’s Master Classes, as well as the Banff Festival Orchestra. Locally, Gretchen has performed with Chamber Music Charleston, the Mozart in the South Festival, the Piccolo Spoleto Festival, and the Spoleto Festival. Her performance of Mozart's Clarinet Quintet has been featured on National Public Radio’s “Performance Today." She also performs with groups outside of Charleston, including the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, the Long Bay Symphony, and the Beaufort Symphony. 

Mrs. Roper is currently the adjunct clarinet instructor at the Charleston School of the Arts, and works with students in several schools in Mount Pleasant, SC. She enjoys teaching in a thriving private studio, and coaching chamber ensembles. Her students consistently achieve excellence in local, regional, and state competitions. When she isn’t working, Gretchen enjoys spending time with her husband, John Samuel, and her two cats, Scat and Scooter.