Conductor
Roger Whitworth was appointed as Conductor of the Go-Go Symphony in 2018. He brings decades of experience as a conductor, French horn, and trumpet principal player. He has performed at the White House Presidential Orchestra for Presidents Carter and Reagan and with famous artists such as Stevie Wonder, Cher, Eartha Kitt, Barry White, Aretha Franklin, and others. He has also played as an alternate with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, performed with Barry White’s “Love Unlimited Orchestra,” and participated in numerous recording sessions. Roger toured seven countries in Europe with the Milwaukee Touring Orchestra.
Mr. Whitworth has served in several orchestras and conducted the European Orchestra of Washington D. C. since 2004. He served as Principal Trumpet of the Oslo Philharmonic, of the Israel Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta since 1994, and the Orquesta Sinfonica del Estado de Mexico since 1990, as well as the Boston Philharmonic. Roger was the guest principal trumpet of the Chicago Symphony; and in 2020, the Hong Kong Philharmonic.
Roger has played with Joffrey Ballet, the American Ballet, Cher, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Amy Grant, Linda Carter, Bob Hope, and several other celebrities. He has recorded over 100 CDs as a principal French Hornist with, “The Washington Winds.” He has recorded with Enya as the principal horn in the “Talesian Orchestra”.
Roger has played numerous Broadway shows in DC and Chicago such as, “West Side Story”, “The Wiz”, “Stop the World, I Want to Get Off”, “Guys and Dolls”, “Oklahoma” and others.
Roger was born and grew up in Chicago. He studied music Performance and Education major at Indiana University, Bloomington. He moved to Washington, DC when won an audition for the Merine Band in 1977.