Imogen Cooper

Sunday, May 5, 2024 – 3:00 PM | This concert is sold out.

Mairs Concert Hall, Macalester College

“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

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Program

SCHUBERT  Sonata in C Major, D. 840 (“Reliquie”)

SCHUBERT  Impromptus Nos. 1 & 2, D. 899

Intermission

J.S. BACH Chorale: Nun freut euch, lieben Christen g'mein (arr. Kempff)

J.S. BACH Chorale: Nun komm der Heiden Heiland (arr. Busoni)

THOMAS ADÈS  Darkness Visible

BEETHOVEN  Sonata No. 31 in A-flat Major, Op. 110

One of Britain’s most esteemed pianists, Imogen Cooper is admired for the intellect and poetic poise she brings to her art. She is especially regarded for her interpretations of Schubert and Schumann, but she has championed new music as well, giving the premières of works such as Traced Overhead by Thomas Adès. Her extensive career as a soloist, accompanist, and chamber musician includes performances with many of the world’s premier orchestras and conductors, such as the New York Philharmonic, Berliner Philharmoniker, Vienna Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw, and NHK Symphony Orchestras, to name a few. She has played at the BBC Proms and with all the major British orchestras, and has particularly close relationships playing/directing with the Royal Northern Sinfonia and Britten Sinfonia.

As an ensemble player, she works 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 partnership with baritone Wolfgang Holzmair. Her lengthy discography includes Mozart Concertos with the Royal Northern Sinfonia (Avie) and a cycle of solo works by Schubert recorded live. Her most recent recording for Chandos (2021) is ‘Le Temps Perdu,’ featuring music by Debussy, Ravel, Fauré, and Poulenc.

As a 12-year old, Imogen left home in north London to study in Paris at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique (CNSM) with Jacques Février, Yvonne Lefébure and Germaine Mounier. At 17, she received the conservatory’s Premier Prix de Piano, a major distinction. She was mentored in her late teens by Arthur Rubinstein and Clifford Curzon, and later by Alfred Brendel, Paul Badura-Skoda, and Jörg Demus. Her association with Brendel has resonated with her throughout her performing life.

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. Among Imogen’s many public honors was being appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2007 New Year Honours and Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to music. She was also awarded the Queen's Medal for Music in 2019.

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“Imogen is one of the greatest musicians England has produced. She's utterly without show. Mozart, Schumann and Schubert could have been written for her. There's a poetic, reflective side to her which is always there in her playing. It isn't Imogen's style to play to the gallery. She's not someone who goes in for fireworks in the rafters. But I can bet you that if I were to ask any orchestral musicians who they rate as one of the best Mozart pianists, three out of four of them will come up with Imogen's name first time around. Orchestral musicians are the toughest critics.”

— Sir Simon Rattle

“…music-making of this calibre transports us to another plane of existence.”

— Evening Standard

“Cooper’s playing exuded the wisdom of decades of experience. Her touch was clear but never hard…”

— Daily Telegraph

"…she makes the most difficult passages sound as smooth as water being poured from a pitcher."

— NPR.org

"Cooper’s playing is always a delight: she has a wonderful touch and a sense of colour that brings out the best in whatever she plays."

— classical-music.com