Cooke, James (1958-Present)

Violinist who attended Boston University and the University of Illinois and studied with Malcolm Lowe, Joseph Silverstein, and Denes Zsigmondy.

Groups with whom he has worked include Alea III, the Boston Ballet, the Boston Composers String Quartet, the Boston Pops, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Handel and Haydn Sinfonia and SinfoNova.

He has appeared on the following albums with the Boston Pops: American Visions, The Celtic Album, Chris Botti in Boston, Holiday Pops, My Favorite Things: A Richard Rodgers Celebration, and A Splash of Pops. He also appears on Encounter with Luciano Berio, which was recorded at the Boston University School of Music on 5^th November 1981.

On 10^th March 2006, the BSO appeared at Verizon Hall in a program that comprised Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 7 in A, Op. 92”, Elliott Carter’s “Three Illusions”, Peter Lieberson’s “Neruda Songs for Mezzo-Soprano and Orchestra” (sung by Peter’s wife, Lorraine), and Richard Strauss’s “Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks, Op. 28”.

Members thereof entertained at Tufts University on 11^th February 2007 with Franz Joseph Haydn’s “String Quartet No. 1 in G major, Op. 77” and Arnold Schoenberg’s “String Quartet No. 2 in F sharp minor, Op. 10”.

On 3^rd October 2008, James participated in the Hardy Memorial Series Fall Chamber Music Concert at the First Baptist Church in Newton, Massachusetts. The concert, which benefited Habitat for Humanity, consisted of Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major”, Johannes Brahms’ “Sextet No. 2 in G major, Op. 36”, the allegro from Haydn’s “Trio No. 3”, and Erwin Schulhoff’s “Concertino for Flute, Viola and Bass”.

A Generations Concert was a family affair. James, his wife Lisa Crockett and daughter Elizabeth Cooke, also violinists, teamed up with pianist Carmen Rodriguez-Peralta at Middlesex Music College on 10^th April 2009 for a performance of Joseph Hellmesberger Jr.’s “Serenade for Three Violins and Piano”.

On 5^th December 2010, James took part in the Concert for the Cure, the brainchild of flautist Julie Scolnick, who had managed to encourage Sir Simon Rattle to conduct some of the world’s finest musicians at Jordan Hall in Boston, Massachusetts. The concert consisted of Brahms’ “Symphony No. 2”, the adagietto from Gustav Mahler’s “Symphony No. 5”, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Piano Concerto in G, K. 453”, with Marc-Andre Hamelin at the keys.

Roberto Abbado subbed for an ailing James Levine at Prudential Hall on 18^th March 2011 for Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67”, Bela Bartok’s “Piano Concerto No. 3” with soloist Peter Serkin, and Haydn’s “Symphony No. 93 in D”.

James and bassist Todd Seeber are responsible for a two-year-old tradition known as the Boston to Lenox Relay Race, which starts at Symphony Hall and ends at Tanglewood. The run marks the beginning of the Tanglewood season, raises awareness for its Days in the Arts program, and has grown from fifteen to seventy runners in its young existence.

Here he is performing Serenade for Three Violins and Piano by Joseph Hellmesberger…

Sources:

Cooke, James (1958-Present)

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