ABOUT THE SPEAKER

M. Roger Holland, II is Teaching Associate Professor in Music and Religion and Director of The Spirituals Project at the Lamont School of Music, University of Denver. He received an MDiv from Union Theological Seminary and served as Artist-in-Residence and director of the Union Gospel Choir for over 13 years. In 2015, Union awarded him the Trailblazers Distinguished Alumni Award. Roger toured with The Boys Choir of Harlem, served as Minister of Music for Our Lady of Charity Roman Catholic Church in Brooklyn, NY for 12 years, and is Liturgical Music Consultant for the New York Archdiocese Office of Black Ministry. He has played for the Broadway productions of Oprah Winfrey’s The Color Purple and the Tony award winning show, Memphis. In 2016, Cardinal Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York presented Roger with the Pierre Toussaint Medallion for service.