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The English counter-tenor, Tristram Gabriel Frederick Cooke, obtained his Bachelor of Music degree with Honours from King's College, University of London (2011-2014). After graduating from Kings College London where his first study was violin, he was awarded a scholarship as a singer on the Master of Arts course in Performance at the Royal Academy of Music, where he studied with Glenville Hargreaves and Michael Chance, and graduated with Distinction (2014-2016). While there, he took on a variety of roles for opera scenes each term, and particularly enjoyed English Song and Lieder classes. He was also a member of the Josephine Baker Trust scheme. He was a member of Genesis Sixteen, The Sixteen's young artists' scheme, led by Harry Christophers and Eamonn Dougan in 2015-2016.
Tristram Cooke's solo repertoire includes a number of the less-performed George Frideric Handel's oratorios, as well as familiar works by Baroque composers. He has a particular devotion to J.S. Bach, performing cantatas monthly with the City Bach Collective in the context of Music-at-Hill: Bach Vespers at St Mary at Hill. Other Bach projects include the performance and recording of a Bach Cantata series during 2023-2024 with the Zimmermann Band (Director: Christopher Jeanes), to celebrate the 300th anniversary of J.S. Bach’s appointment as Kantor at the Thomaskirche in Leipzig. He also regularly collaborates on a range of projects with Musica Antica Rotherhithe, who specialise in the research and performance of lesser known Italian Baroque music, currently touring around the UK with a grant from the Continuo Foundation. He has worked with lutenist Peter Martin in several recitals of early English music around the country, including for the Lute Society.
Tristram Cooke works as a Lay Vicar at Westminster Abbey (since September 2016), where he has taken part in numerous live broadcasts and recordings, and in concerts as a soloist in both J.S. Bach's Passions (BWV 244, BWV 245), Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248) and Mass in B minor (BWV 232). He also enjoys performing in concerts and tours with a number of internationally-recognised ensembles including The Tallis Scholars (Director: Peter Phillips), Choir of the Age of Enlightenment, Ora Singers, Arcangelo (Director: Jonathan Cohen), and Gabrieli Consort (Director: Paul McCreesh). He is also a member of several small professional ensembles, including the Iken Scholars
(December 2012-2018; Director: Matthew Dunn), Philharmonia Chorus (since March 2014), Scaramella (since September 2017). In December 2017, he toured Germany, France and Luxembourg with Le Concert d'Astrée (Director: Emmanuelle Haïm).
Tristram Cooke's solo events have included: J.S. Bach’s St John Passion (BWV 245) and B minor Mass (BWV 232) with Oxford Harmonic Society; Purcell’s The Fairy Queen (March 2015) and George Frideric Handel’s Athalia (November 2015) at St John’s Smith Square; the alto soloist for Luton Choral Society’s performance of G.F. Handel's Messiah (November 2017); Purcell’s and Come, ye sons of Art, Dietrich Buxtehude's Membra Jesu nostri, G.F. Handel's Israel in Egypt, Robert Schumann's Liederkreis Op. 39, J.S. Bach's Cantata BWV 170 (Vergnügte Ruh), BWV 82 (Ich habe genug); the world premiere of Sally Beamish’s Judas Passion with the Choir of the Age of Enlightenment (September 2017).
Recent recordings include Sir James MacMillan's Symphony No. 5 with The Sixteen (2018), and discs with the Westminster Abbey Choir and Gabrieli Consort. Older recordings include Siglo de Oro’s debut album, works by Vivanco for De Profundis, and Pelham Humphrey Verse Anthems with Edward Higginbottom. He has appeared on live broadcasts from Westminster Abbey for television and radio, including as a soloist, as well as the BBC Proms. Following a concert tour with Oxford Voices to Alsace-Lorraine and the Schwarzwald he participated in a recording of anthems by Pelham Humphrey (July 2017), as well as film and television work. |
