Roper is a multi-disciplinary artist residing in Los Angeles. His experience ranges from the symphony stage to free improvisation groups. He has toured Europe, North and South America, and Japan as a soloist and with ensembles. His musicianship is represented on over 60 recordings, including twelve recordings as leader and co-leader. He has worked with such artists as Elton John, Leon Russell, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Thomas Mapfumo, Anthony Braxton, Yusef Lateef, Wadada Leo Smith, Bobby Bradford, Michiyo Yagi, Douglas Ewart, Johnny Mathis,Tim McGraw and many others. He creates works that merge music, stage performance, spoken word and the visual arts. These works, whether site-specific, for the concert hall, theater, gallery, digital platforms or recordings, explore histories of place, ethnic and cultural groups, and self-history. They map his movement through these landscapes. In a sense, he is a cartographer. In 2020, William will have a work for string quartet premiered by the Koan Quartet, a program dedicated to his compositions presented by the Southland Ensemble and a worked performed by the Chicago Modern Orchestra Project.
