Principal Oboist of the Colorado Symphony since 1993 and Teaching Professor of Oboe at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Mr. Cooper has also held positions as Associate Principal Oboist of the San Francisco Symphony and Principal Oboist of the Hong Kong Philharmonic. He has performed and taught master classes throughout the United States as well as in Asia and Europe.
Peter Cooper strongly believes in expanding the solo repertoire for the oboe. He has commissioned and premiered five oboe concertos. In 2019 he will play a new concerto by Kevin Puts which was co-commissioned by the Colorado and Baltimore Symphonies. In 2000 he premiered the David Mullikin Oboe Concerto with the Colorado Symphony and recorded it in 2001 with Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields in London for Summit Records. The disc also includes the Richard Strauss Oboe Concerto. The BBC Classical Music Magazine in its review of this CD praised Mr. Cooper as, “a first-rate soloist”. He previously recorded Swiss composer Heinrich Schweizer’s Oboe Concerto with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also premiered concertos by Bill Douglas and Gregory Walker with the Colorado Symphony and Chen Gang with the Hong Kong Philharmonic.
In 2000, Summit Records released Mr. Cooper’s Whispers of the Past, a collaboration with harpist Marcia LaBella that garnered critical acclaim. Classical London Magazine lauded the CD as “A well recorded disc with stylish and charming performances.” The American Record Guide wrote, “Mr. Cooper has my favorite type of oboe sound: sweet, not too harsh, no sharp edges, just a melting soft pastoral tone.” Excerpts from this CD are frequently heard on National Public Radio.
Mr. Cooper has been invited to perform as Guest Principal Oboist with many noted ensembles. He has played many times with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and has recorded and toured with them. Others include the Boston, Atlanta, Seattle, Houston, Milwaukee and San Diego Symphonies, and the Israel Chamber Orchestra.
A prizewinner in the Tokyo International Oboe Competition, he has been soloist with orchestras in Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand and England, as well as with the San Francisco Symphony.
He frequently performs and teaches master classes at International Double Reed Society conventions. He has been a Principal Oboist of the Grand Teton Music Festival and has performed as Principal Oboist in the Oregon Bach Festival, St Barth Music Festival, El Paso Chamber Music Festival, and Strings in the Mountains.
Peter Cooper plays on Marigaux oboes; Marigaux, Paris, has sponsored him in a series of master classes and recitals throughout the United States and in Asia.
A 1981 graduate of Northwestern University, Mr. Cooper studied with Ray Still and Gladys Elliot.