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The Irish tenor, Graham Cooper, he started singing, piano and cello lessons in school in Northern Ireland from a young age, but his path to becoming a professional musician was not the conventional route. He moved to England on a choral scholarship to study Psychology at the University of Bath. While studying his Masters in Cognitive Neuropsychology at the University of Edinburgh, he took up a position as a Lay Clerk at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral and was accepted to The Genesis Sixteen program under direction of Harry Christophers and Eamonn Dougan. He then moved to Berlin to study his PhD in Medical Neuroscience at Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin and during this time completed the Schola scheme with Rundfunkchor Berlin. Since his time in Edinburgh he has been performing in professional ensembles, operas and as a concert soloist and has been singing full time since completing his PhD in 2021. He is currently studying with Lothar Odinius and receiving coaching from Philip Mayers.
With his warm timbre and stylish lyricism, Graham Cooper is already drawing international attention as an accomplished soloist. He enjoys a wide range of repertoire ranging from the Renaissance and Baroque to Classical, Romantic and the present day. Highlights from the current 2022-2023 season include performing the role of Ferrando in Escales Lyriques’ Cosi Fan Tutte in Théâtre Les Cytises, jumping in as DUP Soloist in Abomination - A DUP Opera in Theatre Royal Brighton, singing J.S. Bach's Cantata BWV 99 Erschüttre Dich, Nur Nicht with Philippe Herreweghe in the Concertgebouw Brugge and premiering James Wood’s Apokalypsis in, amongst other venues, De Bijloke and Concertgebouw Amsterdam.
Graham Cooper's first stage experience was performing the roles of Prince Yamadori with Bath Opera in Puccini’s Madame Butterfly and both Don Curzio and Basilio in Edinburgh Studio Opera’s production of W.A. Mozart's Marriage of Figaro. He has since performed in Milhaud’s Trois Opéras-Minute in Musikakademie Rheinsberg, the Komische Oper Berlin in the chorus of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice and Opera Ballet Vlaanderen in the chorus of Robert Schumann's Szenen aus Goethe’s Faust. He has also enjoyed semi-staged performances of George Frideric Handel's Esther and Messiah with the Irish Baroque Orchestra and Sestina as a soloist.
Graham Cooper has recently enjoyed great success as a Lied singer, winning a special prize in the Triomphe de l’Art competition and second prize in the Clara Schumann Competition with pianist Stephanie Daelemans. The duo are enjoying a busy concert and competition schedule this season with highlights including a special collaboration with Klarafestival BOX in Brussels in February.
As a concert soloist Graham Cooper has convinced as the Evangelist in Heinrich von Herzogenberg's Die Geburt Christi, a tour of Charpentier’s Music for the Sun King with players from the Irish Baroque Orchestra, and a world premiere of Anne-Marie O’Farrell’s Civil War Cantata with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra under the baton of Ciarán Crilly as well as enjoying regular performances of the standard repertoire of composers ranging from J.S. Bach to Felix Mendelssohn.
Graham Cooper works regularly with world-class orchestras such as the Orchestre des Champs-Élysées, Camerata Salzburg, Antwerp Symphony Orchestra and the Irish Baroque Orchestra in collaboration with conductors including Philippe Herreweghe, Harry Christophers, Eamonn Dougan, Sophie Jeannin, Peter Whelan, and David Bates.
Also an accomplished ensemble singer, Graham Cooper has already performed in all of the major concert halls in Europe and enjoys an exciting concert schedule, singing regularly with Collegium Vocale Gent (Director: Philippe Herreweghe) in Belgium, Sestina and the Irish Baroque Orchestra in Ireland/Northern Ireland, and Echo Vocal Ensemble in London, England. He also sings with Balthasar-Neumann-Chor (Director: Thomas Hengelbrock) and Vocalconsort Berlin in Germany and Chamber Choir Ireland and Resurgam in Ireland. 2022-2023 highlights include a tour to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem with Collegium Vocale Gent to perform W.A. Mozart's C Minor Mass and a tour of J.S. Bach's Johannes-Passion (BWV 245) with the small ensemble of Collegium Vocale Gent. |
