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 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 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.”
In 2008, Mr. Cooper made successful debut
appearances with the Jacksonville (FL), Elgin (IL), and Wichita (KS) Symphony
Orchestras. In the summer of 2008, he conducted two evenings of ballet at New
York’s Chautauqua Institution featuring North Carolina Dance Theatre’s
recreations of George Balanchine’s choreography, as well as making his debut
with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra on its symphonic series.
A commissioned composer, Mr. Cooper 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 is currently working on a commission
to write original film scores for two Charlie Chaplin movies.This music is scheduled to be premiered by
the WVSO in its March, 2009 Pops concerts.
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.
