Roger Cole has been Principal Oboist of the Vancouver Symphony since 1976. He has been Principal Oboe of the Carmel Bach Festival since 1997. He also played Principal Oboe in the CBC Radio Orchestra. He received his early musical training in Seattle, Washington where he studied with Bernard Shapiro, Principal Oboist of the Seattle Symphony. He went on to become a scholarship student at Yale University and The Juilliard School where he studied with the renowned American oboist, Robert Bloom.

Roger has participated in summer music festivals at Aspen, Tanglewood, Marlboro, Seattle, Victoria and Vancouver. He performs regularly in solo and chamber music recitals and has appeared as soloist with the Vancouver Symphony and the CBC Vancouver Orchestra many times. He has collaborated with Vancouver pianist Linda Lee Thomas on a CD for the CBC Musica Viva label entitled The Expressive Oboe.

Roger is the Artistic Director of the Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra. He teaches at the University of British Columbia and the Vancouver Academy of Music and also teaches many private students in his home studio.