Stone and Steel Combines Ancient and Modern For Unique New Sound
New York, NY - The enchanting cellist Kristina Reiko Cooper recently launched her latest CD, Stone and Steel, a scintillating combination of the ancient and the modern. Cooper, a resident of New York City and Tel Aviv, is well-known for her adventurousness and her passion for new, popular and contemporary works. In her newest release, she takes some old classics Gregorian chants, songs of the ever-popular Elizabethan composer John Dowland and the haunting aria from Dido and Aeneus, Didos Lament and musically expresses them in a completely fresh and novel way.
Stone and Steel was originally inspired by the time I have spent living in Israel. The juxtaposition of the ancient and the modern, in terms of architecture, culture and thought, have made a huge impression on me. As Americans, we are rarely exposed to that kind of combination. I consider myself an urban and contemporary woman. Ive always lived in big, modern cities, in glass and steel structures, but mostly play music that was composed centuries ago, using my very old instrument my cello is from 1786, explained Cooper. I think that is an interesting combination. So, Stone and Steel represents who I am, as a person and as an artist, Cooper explained.
Stone and Steel is scored for cello, piano and percussion, and was released by Koch Records in the United States and Linus Records in Canada.
Cooper has won widespread acclaim for her musical versatility, her virtuosity, her charismatic stage presence and her passionate intensity. Her latest CD will captivate her loyal fans, as well as new audiences.
During this time of extreme global turmoil, the economy, terrorism, and climate change, music really can soothe the soul, said Cooper. Since music is a universal language, it can be used to communicate to everyone. The music from my new CD is fresh and unique, but is also very accessible, of high artistic quality and appealing to people of all musical tastes.
Cooper has found great success in numerous forms of media, from her best-selling DVDs and CDs, to television performances and commercials, magazine covers, print fashion ads and even her own magazine columns.
Although well-known for traversing musical genres, she first established her career as a classical artist. Hailed by The New York Times as sensational in concert and as a striking virtuoso by The Los Angeles Times, Cooper has performed as a soloist and chamber musician on many of the worlds most distinguished stages.
She has been the featured soloist with such highly regarded orchestras as the Prague Chamber Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony and the Tokyo Yomiuri Orchestra. Cooper is a frequent featured performer at such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, Jerusalems Henry Crown Hall, Torontos Roy Thompson Hall and Kioi Hall of Tokyo.
As a chamber musician, Cooper received the Walter M. Naumburg Chamber Music Award first prize. She has been a member of many renowned ensembles, including the internationally acclaimed Quartetto Gelato, Musicians from Marlboro, and The Whitman String Quartet, and continues to perform as part of the contemporary music group Continuum, and the popular and eclectic ensemble Intersection, also known as Kristina & Laura. She is also the musical co-director of The Israel Chamber Music Society.
Cooper has an extensive discography of CD and DVD recordings, including many best-sellers.
She has been featured on National Public Radio, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, NHK in Japan, KBS in Korea, WNYC and WQXR in New York City, as well as in television broadcasts for CNN, PBS, CBC Television, CBSs 60 Minutes, national Chinese Television, KBS Television in Korea, Fuji Television and NHK Television in Japan.
Cooper received her bachelors and masters degrees in music and her doctorate of musical arts from The Juilliard School in New York City.
When not on tour, she currently splits her time between New York and Israel, where shes a Visiting Professor of Music at Hebrew University and Musical Co-Director of The Israel Chamber Music Society.
New York, NY - The enchanting cellist Kristina Reiko Cooper recently launched her latest CD, Stone and Steel, a scintillating combination of the ancient and the modern. Cooper, a resident of New York City and Tel Aviv, is well-known for her adventurousness and her passion for new, popular and contemporary works. In her newest release, she takes some old classics Gregorian chants, songs of the ever-popular Elizabethan composer John Dowland and the haunting aria from Dido and Aeneus, Didos Lament and musically expresses them in a completely fresh and novel way.
Stone and Steel was originally inspired by the time I have spent living in Israel. The juxtaposition of the ancient and the modern, in terms of architecture, culture and thought, have made a huge impression on me. As Americans, we are rarely exposed to that kind of combination. I consider myself an urban and contemporary woman. Ive always lived in big, modern cities, in glass and steel structures, but mostly play music that was composed centuries ago, using my very old instrument my cello is from 1786, explained Cooper. I think that is an interesting combination. So, Stone and Steel represents who I am, as a person and as an artist, Cooper explained.
Stone and Steel is scored for cello, piano and percussion, and was released by Koch Records in the United States and Linus Records in Canada.
Cooper has won widespread acclaim for her musical versatility, her virtuosity, her charismatic stage presence and her passionate intensity. Her latest CD will captivate her loyal fans, as well as new audiences.
During this time of extreme global turmoil, the economy, terrorism, and climate change, music really can soothe the soul, said Cooper. Since music is a universal language, it can be used to communicate to everyone. The music from my new CD is fresh and unique, but is also very accessible, of high artistic quality and appealing to people of all musical tastes.
Cooper has found great success in numerous forms of media, from her best-selling DVDs and CDs, to television performances and commercials, magazine covers, print fashion ads and even her own magazine columns.
Although well-known for traversing musical genres, she first established her career as a classical artist. Hailed by The New York Times as sensational in concert and as a striking virtuoso by The Los Angeles Times, Cooper has performed as a soloist and chamber musician on many of the worlds most distinguished stages.
She has been the featured soloist with such highly regarded orchestras as the Prague Chamber Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony and the Tokyo Yomiuri Orchestra. Cooper is a frequent featured performer at such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, Jerusalems Henry Crown Hall, Torontos Roy Thompson Hall and Kioi Hall of Tokyo.
As a chamber musician, Cooper received the Walter M. Naumburg Chamber Music Award first prize. She has been a member of many renowned ensembles, including the internationally acclaimed Quartetto Gelato, Musicians from Marlboro, and The Whitman String Quartet, and continues to perform as part of the contemporary music group Continuum, and the popular and eclectic ensemble Intersection, also known as Kristina & Laura. She is also the musical co-director of The Israel Chamber Music Society.
Cooper has an extensive discography of CD and DVD recordings, including many best-sellers.
She has been featured on National Public Radio, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, NHK in Japan, KBS in Korea, WNYC and WQXR in New York City, as well as in television broadcasts for CNN, PBS, CBC Television, CBSs 60 Minutes, national Chinese Television, KBS Television in Korea, Fuji Television and NHK Television in Japan.
Cooper received her bachelors and masters degrees in music and her doctorate of musical arts from The Juilliard School in New York City.
When not on tour, she currently splits her time between New York and Israel, where shes a Visiting Professor of Music at Hebrew University and Musical Co-Director of The Israel Chamber Music Society.
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