Imogen Cooper
Biography
Recognized worldwide as a pianist of virtuosity and poetic poise, Imogen Cooper has established a reputation as one of the finest interpreters of the classical repertoire. During the 2012/13 season she will perform concertos with the Philadelphia Orchestra (play/direct), Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester with Mark Elder and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra with Ludovic Morlot. She will also tour the UK with the Budapest Festival Orchestra under Ivan Fischer. Her solo and chamber appearances will include a series at LSO St Luke’s in London and she will also play duo recitals with Paul Lewis. During 2013, Imogen will return to Schubert, performing a cycle of his solo works at the Wigmore Hall. This follows on from her recent series at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, which was recorded live and released to great critical acclaim under the title ‘Schubert Live’.
Last season Imogen Cooper’s concerto performances included the Hallé, Northern Sinfonia and Music of the Baroque. She also performed the Ravel G major concerto at the BBC Proms and Lincoln Center New York, with the Orchestra of the Royal Academy of Music and the Juilliard School, conducted by John Adams. Her solo recitals included the Schubertiade in Schwarzenberg, Tokyo, Mainz, Minnesota and the Gilmore International Keyboard Festival.
Imogen Cooper has a widespread international career and has appeared with the New York Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw, Leipzig Gewandhaus, London Symphony and NHK Symphony Orchestras. She has also undertaken tours with the Camerata Salzburg, Australian and Orpheus Chamber Orchestras. Imogen Cooper has played with all the major British orchestras and has particularly close relationships with the Northern Sinfonia and Britten Sinfonia, play/directing. Her recital appearances have included New York, Chicago, Paris, Vienna, Prague and London.
As a supporter of new music, Imogen Cooper has premiered two works at the Cheltenham International Festival; Traced Overhead by Thomas Adès (1996) and Decorated Skin by Deirdre Gribbin (2003). In 1996, she also collaborated with members of the Berliner Philharmoniker in the premiere of the quintet, Voices for Angels, written by the ensemble’s viola player, Brett Dean.
Imogen Cooper is a committed chamber musician and performs regularly with the Belcea Quartet. As a Lieder recitalist, she has had a long collaboration with Wolfgang Holzmair in both the concert hall and recording studio (for Philips). Imogen will celebrate the Britten centenary year by performing two of his song cycles with Christianne Stotijn. She also performs and records frequently with the cellist Sonia Wieder-Atherton. Wolfgang Holzmair and Sonia Wieder-Atherton both feature in the box set ‘Imogen Cooper and Friends’ encompassing solo, chamber and lieder works (Philips). She has also recorded Mozart Concertos with the Northern Sinfonia (Avie) and a solo recital at the Wigmore Hall (Wigmore Live). Her first recording for Chandos Records features music by Brahms and Schumann.
Imogen Cooper received a CBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours in 2007 and was the recipient of an award from the Royal Philharmonic Society the following year. In 1999 she was made a Doctor of Music at Exeter University. She is the Humanitas Visiting Professor in Classical Music and Music Education at the University of Oxford for 2012-13.
