Gretchen Roper was the Second Clarinetist of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra for 18 years, and currently performs with the Hilton Head Symphony, Savannah Philharmonic, and Charlotte Symphony. Gretchen has also performed with Chamber Music Charleston, The Greenville Symphony, The Sarasota Orchestra, the Wintergreen Summer Festival Orchestra, and the Minnesota Orchestra. She has attended the National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute, The Banff Center Summer Workshop and Orchestra Festival, The Wintergreen Summer Music Festival (Wintergreen, VA) and has appeared several times in the Spoleto and Piccolo Spoleto festivals. 

Gretchen has a Bachelors degree in Music Performance from Duquesne University, and pursued a Masters Degree in Music Performance from the University of Minnesota. Her main teachers were David Weber (former professor at Juilliard), Michael Rusinek (Principal Clarinetist of Pittsburgh Symphony) Ron Samuels, (Second Clarinetist of the Pittsburgh Symphony) and Burt Hara (former Principal Clarinetist of Minnesota Orchestra, current associate Principal of LA Philharmonic). 

Mrs. Roper repairs clarinets of all kinds, and sells refurbished professional and intermediate level instruments from her home repair bench. She also runs a thriving private studio and enjoys working with students all over the low country of all ages!