Minnesota-born tenor Thomas Cooley has established a reputation on both sides of the Atlantic — and beyond — as a singer of great versatility, expressiveness and virtuosity.
He has appeared with such conductors as Helmuth Rilling, Donald Runnicles, Osmo Vänskä, Eji Oue, Michael Tilson-Thomas, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Nicholas McGegan, Robert Spano, David Robertson, Carlo Rizzi, Franz Welser-Möst, Manfred Honneck, Michael Schønwandt, Gil Shohat and Kryzstof Penderecki. His repertoire on the concert stage comprises works such as Beethoven's Missa Solemnis; Berlioz' Requiem, Nuits d'été and L'enfance du Christ; Haydn's Seasons; Stravinsky's Les Noces;Handel's Messiah; Mendelssohn's Lobgesang; Kodály’s Psalmus Hungaricus; Honneger's King David; Mozart's Requiem; Elgar'sDream of Gerontius; Bernstein's Candide; and Penderecki's Credo. He is frequently invited to perform in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, and has sung the work in Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, Germany, Italy, Spain and throughout the United States. Cooley is a well-known interpreter of the works of Bach and Handel, most especially in the role of the Evangelist in Bach's Passions and in the great oratorios of Handel.
Recent and upcoming appearances of note include Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the Milwaukee Symphony; Britten’s War Requiem with the Indianapolis, Atlanta and Oregon Symphonies; Handel’s Messiah with the Oregon, Houston and Charlotte Symphonies as well as the Calgary Philharmonic and National Symphony Orchestra; “Peter Quint” in Britten’s Turn of the Screw with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra; Bob Boles in Britten’s Peter Grimes with the St. Louis Symphony in Carnegie Hall; the title role in Handel’s Samson with the American Classical Orchestra at Alice Tully Hall (Nicholas McGegan conducting); the world premiere of Christopher Theofanidis’ Creation Oratorio with Atlanta Symphony; “Tristan” in Frank Martin’s Le vin herbé with Bergen National Opera; “Crown Prince” in Kevin Puts’ Silent Night with Cincinnati Opera; “Acis” in a new production of Handel’s Acis and Galatea and L’Allegro with the Mark Morris Dance Group; Bach's St. Matthew Passion with Seattle Symphony and the St. John Passion with Pacific Musicworks and the Pittsburgh Symphony; and performances at the Oregon and Carmel Bach Festivals.
As Artist in Residence with Chicago’s Music of the Baroque, Cooley performs Monteverdi’s Vespers, Handel’s Judas Maccabaeusand a program of Bach Cantatas this season.
