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Grant
Cooper
July
8, 29 & August 9, 2008
Grant Cooper,
Artistic Director and Conductor of the West Virginia Symphony
Orchestra, was named to the position in March, 2001, and officially
began his duties as the 9th conductor in the WVSO's history on
July 1, 2001. From 1997-2007, Mr. Cooper served as Resident Conductor
of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, where he gave almost 600
performances with the orchestra, appearing to critical acclaim
on all the major series. Mr. Cooper is also Artistic Director
of a summer festival, the Bach and Beyond Festival in Fredonia
, New York.
Mr. Cooper was
born in Wellington , New Zealand , the son of a professional
opera singer. He sang and acted in his first opera at age four,
and studied piano and music theory prior to college. After completing
his degree in Pure Mathematics at the University of Auckland
, his performing career took him to the major concert halls of
the world from Beijing to London . Following a performance at
the Henry A. Wood Promenade Concerts at the Royal Albert Hall
under conductor Claudio Abbado, Mr. Cooper was invited by Maestro
Abbado to join the orchestra of La Scala as solo trumpet. Instead,
Mr. Cooper accepted a fellowship from the Queen Elizabeth II
Arts Council for study with Gerard Schwarz in the United States
. This, in turn, led to performances in New York 's Carnegie
Hall and at Tanglewood under Arthur Fiedler, where he also performed
as principal trumpet under conductors Leonard Bernstein, Seiji
Ozawa, and Sir Neville Marriner, among others.
Mr. Cooper was
guest conductor of the XIVth Commonwealth Games closing ceremonies,
appearing with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa as soloist. In Europe , his
engagement as guest conductor for the Mozart Wochen of the Heidelberger
Schlossfestspiele prompted high critical praise. His appearances
with the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra have generated considerable
enthusiasm and acclaim across the whole gamut of programs, showing
his deep affinity for repertoire of enormous stylistic range.
Mr. Cooper's collaborations with artists such as Hilary Hahn,
Olga Kern, Midori, Elmar Oliviera, and Deborah Voigt have, similarly,
prompted critical praise for his skills as an accompanist.
In past seasons,
Mr. Cooper has appeared regularly as guest conductor of the Philharmonic
Orchestras of Buffalo and Rochester . In recent years he has
made his debuts with the Houston Symphony Orchestra, the Spokane
Symphony, the Erie Philharmonic, the Kansas City Symphony, as
well as with the Stamford (CT), Modesto (CA), and Youngstown
(OH) Symphony Orchestras. He returned to New Zealand to conduct
the millennium celebrations there with the Auckland Philharmonia.
He has appeared as guest conductor to Ottawa 's Thirteen Strings
for many seasons and conducted several engagements with Syracuse
Opera, including “Cosi fan Tutte,” “The Barber
of Sevillle,” and "The Marriage of Figaro." With
the WVSO, Cooper's operatic repertoire has also included “Tosca”
and “Carmen.” This season, Mr. Cooper will guest conduct
the Jacksonville (FL), Elgin (IL), and Wichita (KS) Symphony
Orchestras.
A commissioned
composer, Mr. Cooper's most recently completed new work is for
soprano and orchestra. Entitled "A Song of Longing, Though..."
with poetry by Tom Beal, it was performed by the WVSO in April
2007. He is especially passionate about creating works designed
to introduce young audiences to the orchestra, including such
works as "Rumpelstiltzkin" for narrator and orchestra,
"Goldilocks and the Three Bears," "Boyz in the
Wood," for Coloratura Soprano and Rap Singer, and "Song
of the Wolf." His educational music is an eclectic blend
of modern and established styles with interactive participation
of the audience. Mr. Cooper's compositional style reflects his
belief that orchestral music is a living, vital, and relevant
part of our society, able to be appreciated by all.
Mr. Cooper's
first arrangement for the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, "Take
Me Home, Country Roads," was premiered at Symphony Sunday
in June, 2002 and has found a permanent place in the orchestra's
repertoire. Further arrangements celebrating our Appalachian
heritage and the WVSO's role in honoring our shared cultural
values include “ West Virginia 's Home to Me” and “The
West Virginia Hills.” The orchestra also commissioned Mr.
Cooper to write arrangements for Holiday Pops concerts in 2004
and in 2005. He has continued to create new music for these concerts
in each successive season.
Mr. Cooper has
recorded for Delos International, Atoll, Ode, Mark, and Kiwi
Pacific recordings. As a conductor, a CD devoted to the premier
recordings of the string music of New Zealand composer Douglas
Lilburn has been enthusiastically received. Recently, Mr. Cooper
released “Points in a Changing Circle,” featuring him
as trumpet soloist in works by New Zealand composers and a CD
featuring three of his own works recorded with the Cayuga Chamber
Orchestra on a disc titled “Boyz in the Wood.” With
this, Mr. Cooper has reached the milestone of having CD recordings
of him as conductor, performer, and composer, all currently available
in the catalogue.
Mr. Cooper resides
in Charleston with his wife, Margie, and daughters, Jessica and
Rachel. |
