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The American composer, conductor and organist, William David Cooper, obtained his Bachelor of Music degree (2008) and his Master of Music degree (2010) from Juilliard School. He earned a PhD in composition and music theory from the University of California, Davis. He was an organ student of Paul Jacobs and composition student of Samuel Adler at the Juilliard School. He also studied with Thomas Bara at the Interlochen Arts Academy.
William Cooper has over twelve years of experience as a church music director and choral conductor. He has performed as a soloist and accompanist and in chamber, choral and orchestral settings in venues throughout the country, and specializes in improvisation of a variety of styles. He was also Stage Manager at Left Coast Chamber Ensemble in San Francisco, California (2012-2013); Director of Early Music Ensemble at UC Davis (2012-2015); organist and composer-in-residence for The Anglican Singers in New London, Connecticut (2021-2023).
William Cooper has served as music director at First Baptist Church in Lafayette, Indiana (2010-2011); Episcopal Church of St. Martin in Davis, California (2013-2015); St James Episcopal Church in New London, Connecticut (October 2016-August 2023). During his time at St. James, he expanded the adult choir, founded a children’s choir and composed numerous pieces for use in the liturgy. He also ran the church’s concert series: Music On Whale Oil Row. He has been director of the Early Music Ensemble at UC Davis (2012-2015) and the Walnut Hill Chorus in Natick, Massachusetts. Since August 2023, he serves as Director of Music at the Wellesley Hills Congregational Church in Wellesley, Massachusetts.
William Cooper is a highly regarded, award winning composer. In 2021, his St. Luke Passion premiered at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, New York City. St. Peter’s was also the site of the premieres of his Requiem (2019) and ballet Creatio Continua (2017). His three operas: Cleopatra (2014), Leonce und Lena (2015), Hagar and Ishmael (2017) have been featured by Fort Worth Opera, West Edge Opera, the National Opera Association, the Nelson-Atkins Museum and the UC Davis Early Music Ensemble. He has composed numerous anthems and service music for various churches. His choral music has also been performed by The New York Virtuoso Singers, and C4. He is the recipient of awards from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, ASCAP and the American Prize. He has received fellowships from the Aspen Music Festival, the Composers Conference, Brush Creek, I-Park, Ucross and VCCA. His music has been featured on several recently released recordings, including Boston Etudes Project (Jihye Chang, New Focus Recordings), Mirrors (Lysander Trio, First Hand Records, 2021) and Nong (gamin, Innova Records, 2020).
William Cooper has taught in the Music Theory Faculty at Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana (2010-2011); and in the Adjunct Faculty at Vincennes University in Indianapolis, Indiana (2010-2011). He has also been on the faculty of the Boston Conservatory High School Composers Intensive, and previously taught at UC Davis, and the Interlochen Arts Camp. Since August 2017, he is Head of Theory and Composition at Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick. He currently lives in Boston, Massachusetts. |
