Candace Roller, the newest cellist in the orchestra, was born and raised in Hays, a Volga-German community in west-central Kansas. Music has always been a part of her life. At age 2 her favorite activity was sitting in her highchair playing the family’s small organ for hours. At age 3 she picked out melodies on her brother’s acoustic guitar that only had 3 strings! At age 5 her mother decided to foster her interest and enrolled her in Suzuki piano lessons.
At age 8 she began playing the viola. But her true passion emerged after the eighth-grade orchestra teacher persuaded her to try the cello and she ended up finding her musical soulmate. She joined the Fort Hays State University Symphony Orchestra at age 14 and continued playing in the orchestra until she left the community to move to Kansas City with her husband, Mark. She had studied with Julian Shew as a student at FHSU. While raising a family, numerous musical pursuits—including learning to play handbells, leading a handbell choir, and playing cello with small ensembles of friends—kept Candace musically engaged. Once her children were grown, she decided to get back in the game. She joined the Overland Park Orchestra in the winter of 2022 and continues to play as co-principal. Her audition for KCCO in the summer of 2023 was her first audition in 30 years! She is grateful for the opportunity to play with such an esteemed and talented group of individuals. She looks forward to making beautiful music with KCCO for many years to come!