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What's New with Thomas Cooley
September 19, 2011
A "Breathtaking" Evangelist
JS BACH St. Matthew Passion
Thomas Cooley, tenor “The Evangelist”
Oberlin Baroque Performance Institute
“Special mention should be made of Thomas Cooley, who brought to the
taxing part of the Evangelist a lyrical tenor voice, crisp German
diction, and a remarkable control of nuance and dynamic range. The
subtle shading he would bring to a phrase such as ‘weinete
bitterlich’ was breathtaking.”
--clevelandclassical.com
HEAR Thomas Cooley
May 10, 2011
“Magnificent...Tour de Force...Electrifying”
Joseph Haydn’s "The Creation"
Nicholas McGegan, conductor
Dominique Labelle, soprano
Thomas Cooley, tenor
Philip Cutlip, baritone
Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale
McGegan
"Magnificent"
"[A] magnificent performance...McGegan invested Haydn's dramatic
canvas with plentiful helpings of theatrical flair and sheer
celebratory beauty....[he] conducted with tenderness and vibrancy,
drawing robust and richly colored playing from the orchestra." --San
Francisco Chronicle
Labelle "Tour
de force"
"Dominique Labelle was exquisite, bringing silvery tone and pinpoint
virtuosity to her assignment; her impersonation of the newly minted
birds, complete with an array of vocal trills, was a tour de
force." --San Francisco Chronicle
Cooley
"Electrifying"
"Tenor Thomas Cooley, as the angel Uriel, was electrifying,
describing the first day as if he himself were experiencing the awe
and beauty of the light. His every ensuing announcement -- eloquent
in diction, every word mattering -- rang with excitement and wonder"
--San Francisco Classical Voice
HEAR McGegan, Labelle and Cooley together in Handel’s
Dettinger Te Deum and Cherubini’s Chant sur la mort de Joseph
Haydn
February 17, 2011
“Supernal”?
"Making a Mighty Sound for Berlioz, but Delicately"
HECTOR
BERLIOZ: Requiem, Op.
5
Thomas Cooley, tenor
Robert Spano, conductor
Orchestra of St. Luke's
Carnegie Hall Festival Anniversary Chorus
"Thomas Cooley, a tenor, sang with supernal
sweetness in the Sanctus, his voice soaring from on high in the
dress circle." --Steve Smith, The New
York Times
su·per·nal adj
1 a : being or coming from on high
b : heavenly, ethereal
c : superlatively good
November 9, 2010
“World-class...Impressive...Radiantâ€Â
THOMAS COOLEY,
Tenor
BACH "World-class"
BEETHOVEN "Impressive"
BERLIOZ "Radiant"
BRITTEN "Charismatic"
ELGAR "Outstanding"
HANDEL "Fiendish"
MENDELSSOHN "Magnetic"
MONTEVERDI "Flawless"
MOZART "Exceptional" SCHMIDT
"Impeccable"
BACH
“Thomas Cooley is a world-class Evangelist. - Café Momus
BEETHOVEN
"Thomas Cooley possesses an impressive palette of tonal and
dynamic facets." - Nürnberger Zeitung
BERLIOZ
“…And the Sanctus, thanks to the tenor Thomas Cooley, was a
marvelous moment of radiant lyricism.†- Strasbourg News
BRITTEN
“His charismatic singing was as though it were created for
the setting of Owens' shattering, desperate lyric†- Süddeutsche
Zeitung
ELGAR
“…outstanding Thomas Cooley†- Nürnberger Zeitung
HANDEL
“[Cooley] displayed fiendish agility...[in a role that
required] extended range, powerful volume and considerable facility
with coloratura.†- MusicalAmerica.com
MENDELSSOHN
"Each aria Cooley delivered was magnetic.†- St. Paul
Pioneer Press
MONTEVERDI
"A flawless Nero†- Holsteiner Courier
MOZART
“an exceptional Mozart tenor with a great future.†-
Traunsteiner Tagblatt
SCHMIDT
"His impeccable tone, articulation, and expressivity were
winning" - The Berkshire Review
HEAR
Thomas Cooley
August 31, 2010
“Musical Juggernautâ€Â
Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln (The Book with Seven
Seals)
Oratorio (1935-37) by Franz
Schmidt
Thomas
Cooley, tenor "Johannes"
Christiane Libor, soprano
Fredrika Brillembourg, mezzo-soprano
James Taylor, tenor
Robert Pomakov, bass-baritone
Kent Tritle, organ
The Bard Festival Chorale, James Bagwell, Choral
Director
The American Symphony Orchestra
Leon Botstein, Conductor
"A terrifying and sensational virtuosic musical
juggernaut....Schmidt somehow manages to breathe modernism into his
tonal Leviathan without cliché, without any clear affinity to Berg,
Schoenberg, Mahler, Hindemith, Strauss, or Debussy, and without any
other simple musical reduction.... Dissonance and bitonality
frequently underscore the dark frisson of the text. Its stylistic
eclecticism (almost encyclopedically inclusive) dazzles: Bach,
Mendelssohn, Schutz, Bruckner, Berlioz, and even Elgar are
suggested....
"Evangelist and narrator Thomas Cooley was
given the most challenging part, one that clearly "makes or breaks"
such a long oratorio. His impeccable tone, articulation, and
expressivity were winning; I could not imagine a better
performance."
--Seth Lachterman,
The Berkshire Review
HEAR
Thomas
Cooley
June 23, 2010
“Fiendish Agilityâ€Â
Thomas Cooley, tenor
FestspielOrchester Göttingen
Nicholas McGegan, conductor
HANDEL
Tamerlano "Bajazet"
"[Cooley] displayed fiendish agility and acted with
vicious intensity throughout...[in a role that required] extended
range, powerful volume and considerable facility with coloratura."
--Carlo Vitali, MusicalAmerica.com
"Thomas Cooley portrays [Bajazet] with impressive
honor and greatness, while letting his wonderfully unforced, flowing
tenor blossom."
--Michael Schäfer, Göttingen Tageblatt
HEAR
Thomas Cooley sing Handel
VISIT
Thomas Cooley
March 16, 2010
“TOOK EVERY RISKâ€Â
Thomas Cooley, tenor
Münchner Kammerorchester
Windsbacher Knabenchor
Karl-Friedrich Beringer, conductor
BACH St. John Passion “Evangelistâ€Â
“As the Evangelist he took every risk to
increase the drama of the narrative.â€Â
“The American tenor Thomas Cooley threw himself
into the story... As the Evangelist he took every risk to increase
the drama of the narrative. The passion-story of Christ vibrated
through his entire body.â€Â
--Berliner Morgenpost
“...the American tenor Thomas Cooley proved to be
a fortunate choice [as Evangelist]. Thanks to his rarely heard
radiant power and sensitivity, simply listening to the outer
narrative line was a pleasure. Every word received its own
interpretation and mood, whether in a simple recitative or in a
solo-aria. Cooley overcame the acoustic difficulties of the 100+
meter church with absolutely no problem.â€Â
--Main-Post.de
“...one has seldom heard such a bright-voiced
Evangelist as Thomas Cooley with his ability to glide effortlessly
into his falsetto...â€Â
--Der Tagesspiegel
HEAR Tom sing “Total eclipse†from
Handel’s Samson
January 6, 2010
“AN EPIPHANYâ€Â
Thomas Cooley, tenor
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra
Nicholas McGegan, conductor
MENDELSSOHN Lobgesang “Hymn of Praiseâ€Â
“This neglected masterpiece proved an
epiphany...a moving, exhilarating experience...particularly the
gentle power of tenor Thomas Cooley. Each aria Cooley delivered was
magnetic, but never more so than during a dark night of the soul
that concluded with Pier offering a soaring solo of comfort from the
third balcony.â€Â
--Ron Hubbard, Pioneer Press
HEAR Tom in the title role in Handel’s
Samson
Available at
www.amazon.com
October 22, 2009
“THRILLING TRILLSâ€Â
Thomas Cooley, tenor “Acisâ€Â
Handel Acis and Galatea
Music of the Baroque
Jane Glover, conductor
“Tenor Thomas Cooley as Acis had the best
diction, most even runs and thrilling trills of the evening,
bringing a contagious and youthful exuberance to the role of the
fated lover willing to sacrifice everything for his love.â€Â
--Dennis Polkow,
Chicago Classical Review
“Thomas Cooley as the amorous Acis was equally
authentic, boasting a pure, expressive tone that easily filled the
hall.â€Â
--Michael Cameron,
Chicago Tribune
HEAR Tom in the title role in Handel’s
Samson
Available at www.amazon.com
“APPLAUSE WITHOUT ENDâ€Â
September 14, 2009
Thomas Cooley, tenor
Beethoven Symphony No. 9
Bamberg Symphony Orchestra
Jonathan Nott, conductor
“The well-earned praise for the gripping performance by soloists,
choir and orchestra was applause without end. Outstanding, the lyric
tenor Thomas Cooley. Beautiful, that the four soloists created a
rounded but also differentiated sound.â€Â
--Frank Kupke, Mainpost
“Nicht enden wollender Applaus war der verdiente Lohn für die
ergreifende Darbietung von Solisten, Chor und Orchester.
Hervorragend der lyrische Tenor Thomas Cooley. Schön, dass die vier
Solisten auch als Ensemble ein rundes und doch differenziertes
Klangbild schufen.â€Â
--Frank Kupke, Mainpost
BBC 5-STAR PERFORMANCE
July 10, 2009
Nicholas McGegan, conductor
Thomas Cooley, tenor “Samsonâ€Â
Handel Samson
FestspielOrchester Göttingen
Carus 83.425
JULY’S “BBC MUSIC CHOICEâ€Â!
 PERFORMANCE
RECORDING
“Nicholas McGegan’s approach focuses on... states of mind
and emotions. Tempos are reflective rather than animated, while
instrumental expression and phrasing is strikingly subtle. Among
many high points is...Micah’s ‘Return O God of Hosts’ with deeply
sensitive orchestral support, the astonishingly unpredictable
tonality of the middle section, the chorus joining in the da capo
repeat.
...Thomas Cooley makes a tragic Samson, from his first
soliloquy on his mental anguish, through a heart-rending ‘Total
Eclipse’ to his humility and returning strength in Act III.â€Â
--George Pratt, July 2009 BBC Music Magazine
Click here for a free download of music from
Samson
Click here/scroll down to hear Thomas Cooley
singing “Total Eclipse!â€Â
Click here to watch “The Making of Samsonâ€Â
Gluck & Mozart On A Moment’s Notice
June 19, 2009
Thomas Cooley, tenor
Mozartfest Würzburg
Les Siécles
François-Xavier Roth, conductor
GLUCK “Unis des la plus tendre enfance†from Iphigénie en Tauride
GLUCK “Banni la crainte et les alarmes†from Alceste
MOZART “Fuor del mar†from Idomeneo
“The American tenor Thomas Cooley, a last minute
replacement...was convincing. He shaped the coloratura and the lyric
passages in the arias from Gluck’s Iphigenie and in “Fuor del marâ€Â
from Mozart’s Idomeneo fantastically.â€Â
--Frank Kupke, Main Post
HEAR Tom in the title role in Handel’s
Samson
Available at www.amazon.com
BACH St. John Passion
June 4, 2009
Thomas Cooley, tenor
Münchner Kammerorchester
Windsbacher Knabenchor
Karl-Friedrich Beringer, conductor
BACH St. John Passion “Evangelistâ€Â
“The Passion-Story of Christ vibrated through his entire bodyâ€Â
“The American tenor Thomas Cooley threw himself into the story...
As the Evangelist he took every risk to increase the drama of the
narrative. The passion-story of Christ vibrated through his entire
body.â€Â
--Berliner Morgenpost
“...the American tenor Thomas Cooley proved to be a fortunate
choice [as Evangelist]. Thanks to his rarely heard radiant power and
sensitivity, simply listening to the outer narrative line was a
pleasure. Every word received its own interpretation and mood,
whether in a simple recitative or in a solo-aria. Cooley overcame
the acoustic difficulties of the 100+ meter church with absolutely
no problem.â€Â
--Main-Post.de
“...one has seldom heard such a bright-voiced Evangelist as
Thomas Cooley with his ability to glide effortlessly into his
falsetto...â€Â
--Der Tagesspiegel
HEAR Tom in the title role in Handel’s
Samson
Available at www.amazon.com
Handel Samson
April 8, 2009
Thomas Cooley, tenor
Handel Samson
FestspielOrchester Göttingen
Nicholas McGegan, conductor
“Thomas Cooley realized the part of Samson most impressively....he
illustrated the dark, painful images, imbued harmonic details with
expression, created tension in passages of complete quiet and
entered into an organic music-making with the orchestra.â€Â
--Dresdner Neueste Nachrichten
Click to hear Thomas Cooley in the title role
Available at
www.jpc.de
NOTHING TO FEAR
February 24, 2009
Thomas Cooley, tenor
Rameau & Handel Arias
Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra
Nicholas McGegan, conductor
“Cooley calmly shatters tenorial stereotypes. His supple, multicolored voice is deployed with the utmost taste and delicacy. He was at his lyrical best in the winsome ‘Where’er you walk,’ from Handel’s ‘Semele’ -- a signature piece of the legendary Irish tenor John McCormack. Cooley has nothing to fear from the comparison.â€Â
--Larry Fuchsberg, Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
“More Rameau came courtesy of an aria from his opera, ‘Dardanus.’ Cooley dove into the depths of its dark mood, which made the Handel arias that followed seem all the more transcendent. The soft sound of an orchestra bent on authenticity permitted Cooley to demonstrate his facility with a broad range of dynamics, both sonically and emotionally. Some larynx-stretching lines from the oratorio ‘Jeptha’ showed his voice to be as athletic as it is expressive.â€Â
--Rob Hubbard, Pioneer Press
COMING SOON: Handel’s Samson with Thomas Cooley in the title role!
Read more about Thomas Cooley
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