Imogen Cooper FGS

Biography

"She is an outstanding artist, one of the finest pianists now playing. Go, listen, and wonder how many better pianists there are alive in this country, or anywhere."  Daily Telegraph

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.  She has dazzled audiences and orchestras throughout her distinguished career, bringing to the concert platform her unique musical understanding and lyrical quality.  

In the 2009/10 season Imogen Cooper’s performances include the Toronto and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestras and solo and chamber recitals in the USA, UK and Belgium.  She also continues her long term relationships play/directing with the Northern Sinfonia and Britten Sinfonia.  During 2008 and 2009 Imogen Cooper is performing the last 6 years of Schubert’s solo works as part of the International Piano Series in London.  Last season her engagements included the Philadelphia Orchestra with Simon Rattle, Boston Symphony with Colin Davis, Mahler Chamber Orchestra with Robin Ticciati and a tour with the London Symphony Orchestra and Daniel Harding.  

Imogen Cooper has a widespread international career and has appeared with the New York Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Gothenburg Symphony, Royal Concertgebouw, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Dresden Staatskapelle 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 including the Philharmonia with Christoph Eschenbach and the London Phiharmonic Orchestra with Mark Elder at the BBC Proms. Her recital appearances include New York, Chicago, Paris, Vienna, Rotterdam, Prague and at London’s Wigmore and Queen Elizabeth Halls.

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 Orchestra in the premiere of the quintet, Voices for Angels, written by the ensemble’s viola player, Brett Dean. 

Imogen Cooper is a committed chamber music player and performs regularly with the Belcea Quartet.  As a Lieder recitalist, she has had a long collaboration with Wolfgang Holzmair. They have performed recitals in many major venues including Vienna, Paris and London, and have made several recordings for Philips, the most recent release being a disc of Lieder setting the poems of Eichendorff.  She also performs frequently with the cellist Sonia Wieder-Atherton, their recordings include a CD set of Brahms Sonatas and Bach (RCA).  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 four Mozart Concertos with the Northern Sinfonia (Avie), a solo recital at the Wigmore Hall (Wigmore Live) and her current series of Schubert recitals in London is being recorded and released to great critical acclaim under the title ‘Schubert Live’ (Avie).

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 in 2008.