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CONDUCTOR One of Canada's leading conductors, Robert
Cooper graduated from the University of Western Ontario (Bachelor of Music,
Master of Music) where he began his conducting studies under Professor Deral
Johnson, followed by post graduate work with Helmuth Rilling, Martin Stephani
(Germany) and Robert Shaw (U.S. A.). As Music Director of the Opera in
Concert Chorus and Chorus Niagara, he performs a wide range of repertoire
including major works for choir, orchestra and opera. He debuted at the
National Arts Centre in the Opening Gala for Festival Canada, leading the
Mendelssohn Choir and the NAC Orchestra in Glick's THE HOUR HAS COME and
Harry Somers' UNITED NATIONS HYMN. Mr. Cooper is a frequent guest of Canadian
opera companies and has conducted Rossini's BARBER OF SEVILLE and Bizet's
PEARL FISHERS for Manitoba Opera, LA CENERENTOLA for Ottawa's Opera Lyra and
Mozart's MARRIAGE OF FIGARO for Pacific Opera Victoria where he also
conducted THE PEARL FISHERS. Last season he conducted Orchestra London's
concert performance of L'ELISIR D'AMORE, led a gala evening of Italian Opera
for Symphony Nova Scotia and was guest conductor at Festival 500 in St.
John's Newfoundland. He debuts in Calgary this season as conductor for LE
NOZZE DI FIGARO. Mr. Cooper has been involved in the
presentation of more than 70 operas, receiving particular acclaim for
conducting Opera in Concert's orchestral performances of Gluck's IPHIGÉNIE EN
TAURIDE, Weber's DER FREISCHÜTZ, Donizetti's LA FAVORITA, Thomas' HAMLET,
Massenet's CENDRILLON and LE CID, Saint Saëns' SAMSON ET DALILA, Bellini's LA
SONNAMBULA, and Thomas' MIGNON celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Opera in
Concert, a performance which was broadcast on CBC Radio Two's Saturday
Afternoon At the Opera. Mr. Cooper's choirs have performed in
prestigious festivals including the Guelph Spring Festival and the
International Choral Festival (Toronto premiere of Paul Winter's MISSA GAIA).
They have performed as guests of Opera Lyra, Toronto Operetta Theatre, the
Toronto, Montréal and Kitchener Waterloo symphonies, Mainly Mozart Orchestra
and Stratford Festival. Highlighting many of these performances have been the
premieres of new Canadian works by Glick, Holman, Bussiere, Applebaum,
Carriere, Laing, Henderson and Weinzweig, the latter of which was presented
in association with Rhombus Media. In addition to commissioning works from
Canadian composers, Mr. Cooper conducted the Canadian premiere of THE COMPANY
OF HEAVEN by Britten for the International Choral Festival. Mr. Cooper also enjoys a distinguished
career as a clinician and guest conductor working extensively with many of
Canada's leading choral organizations, provincial federations and choirs, and
taught and conducted for seven years at the University of Toronto's Faculty
of Music. He is also a frequent adjudicator for the International Choral
Competition, Let the People Sing, taking place this year in London, England. Executive Producer (Opera and Choral
Music) for CBC Radio Music, Mr. Cooper has been President of both the Ontario
Choral Federation and the Association of Canadian Choral Conductors.
Mr.Cooper has received awards from both the Ontario Arts Council and Ontario
Choral Federation for his contribution to choral music in Canada. He had the
singular honour of being asked to conduct the National Youth Choir of Canada
and made a critically acclaimed Edmonton Symphony debut conducting MESSIAH.
He made his debut with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, conducting Bach's B
MINOR MASS and his Carnegie Hall debut conducting the Canadian Massed Choir
in a Celebration of Canadian Choral Music. Courtesy of: Dean Artists Management, 204 St. George
Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5R 2N5 Phone: 416-969-7300 / Fax: 416-969-7969 /
Email: deanarts@interlog.com / Web: www.deanartists.com |
