Imogen Cooper

Regarded as one of the finest interpreters of Classical and Romantic repertoire, Imogen Cooper is internationally renowned for her virtuosity and lyricism. Recent and future concerto performances include the London Symphony Orchestra with Sir Simon Rattle, Cleveland Orchestra with Dame Jane Glover, the Hallé Orchestra with Sir Mark Elder, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra with Ryan Wigglesworth and the Aurora Orchestra with Nicholas Collon. Her solo recitals this season include performances in London, Paris, Vienna, Toronto and Philadelphia.

Imogen has a widespread international career and has appeared with the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia, Boston, Berliner Philharmoniker, Vienna Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Dresden Staatskapelle, Budapest Festival and NHK Symphony Orchestras. She has also undertaken tours with the Camerata Salzburg, Australian and Orpheus Chamber Orchestras. She has played at the BBC Proms and with all the major British orchestras, including particularly close relationships with the Royal Northern Sinfonia and Britten Sinfonia, play/directing. Her recital appearances have included Tokyo, Hong Kong, New York, Montreal, Singapore, Prague, the Schubertiade in Schwarzenberg and Klavierfest Ruhr in Germany.

Imogen is a committed chamber musician and performs regularly with Henning Kraggerud and Adrian Brendel. As a Lieder recitalist, she performs with Ian Bostridge, Sarah Connolly, Henk Neven and Mark Padmore; following a long collaboration with Wolfgang Holzmair in both the concert hall and recording studio. Imogen’s recent solo recordings for Chandos Records feature music by French and Spanish composers, Beethoven, Liszt and Wagner. Her discography also includes Mozart Concertos with the Royal Northern Sinfonia (Avie), a solo recital at the Wigmore Hall (Wigmore Live) and a cycle of solo works by Schubert recorded live and released under the label ‘Schubert Live’.

She received a DBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2021. The honour adds to Imogen’s many awards and accolades, including the Queen’s Medal for Music (2019), Royal Philharmonic Society Performers Award (2008), Commander of the Order of the British Empire (2007), Doctor of Music at Exeter University (1999) and Honorary Membership of the Royal Academy of Music (1997). Imogen was the Humanitas Visiting Professor in Classical Music and Music Education at the University of Oxford for 2013. The Imogen Cooper Music Trust was founded in 2015, to support young pianists at the cusp of their careers and give them time in an environment of peace and beauty. In September 2021 Imogen was the Chair of the Jury at the Leeds International Piano Competition.

Updated 27/09/2023