Walter B. Rogers

Walter B. Rogers was an American cornet player, concert band and orchestral conductor, and composer, born on October 14, 1865, in Delphi, Indiana. He began his musical journey by learning the violin and later the cornet. Rogers studied violin at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and played in bands and orchestras in the Indianapolis area. In 1886, he moved to New York City to join the Seventh Regiment Band under Carlo Alberto Cappa. After Cappa's death, Rogers took over leadership of the band. He also played in John Philip Sousa's band, becoming its assistant conductor in 1900 and later its lead cornet player after Herbert L. Clarke left in 1902.

Rogers is perhaps best known for his work with the Victor Talking Machine Company, where he conducted and arranged most of their orchestral recordings between 1904 and 1916. He worked with notable artists such as Enrico Caruso, Billy Murray, and Al Jolson. His compositions include "A Soldier's Dream," which he first recorded with Sousa's band in 1900. After leaving Victor, Rogers worked with several other recording companies, including Paroquette, Paramount, Emerson, and Brunswick. He retired from recording in 1929 and passed away on December 24, 1939, in New York.

Genres

Opera

Latest Release

Beethoven, Chopin & Others: Piano Works (2024 Remaster)

Victor Orchestra•

Walter B. Rogers

Album - 38 Tracks - Released June 7, 2024