Julie Cooper is an experienced award-winning British composer whose music is broadcast extensively on screen for Film, Television, Radio, Video Game, Advertising and all visual media worldwide. She has scored multiple cinematic orchestral and chamber albums for Television Drama, Wildlife and Natural History documentaries, along with numerous drama commissions for Theatre, BBC Radio Drama and the Concert platform.
Her contemporary classical album CONTINUUM, released in February 2022 on Signum Records, was written during the year of the coronavirus lockdowns (2020-2021) as a musical diary depicting the profound effect on our emotions, our lives, and nature around us. The title track features a narrative written and recorded for the album by the distinguished actor Adjoa Andoh, an extremely moving monologue evoking the emotional journey of that year. Conducted by Jessica Cottis at Abbey Road Studios and produced by Jonathan Allen, it features Grace Davidson, Clio Gould (Leader), Elena Urioste, Nicholas McCarthy, Justin Pearson, Anthony Pike and the Oculus Ensemble. The album reached No.1 in the iTunes Classical Album Top 40 Charts, No.3 in the Official Classical Top 20 and was Scala Radio’s Album of The Week. In 2021, she formed the Oculus Ensemble to record the album, a versatile chamber orchestra made up of musicians of exceptional talent that she has worked with over many years both in the studio and on the concert platform. The Oculus Ensemble will feature on her next album on Signum Records released in 2023.
Her affinity for evocative, eclectic scores and versatility as an orchestrator enables bespoke soundscapes, ever-changing styles and genres created for the brief. She is equally at home writing for solitary, haunting solo instruments as the dramatic power of full orchestra. Her album Haunted By The Secret on Universal’s dark Chappell Noir label, had two nominations for Best Score Production Music Track in The Production Music Awards, winning with her track Game Of Trust.
For the Concert platform, her commissions have ranged from percussion quartet to full orchestra and choir, with performances at high-profile venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, St.Martin-in-the-Fields, St.David’s Hall Cardiff, Snape Maltings, Henley Festival, Newbury Spring Festival, Hong Kong Arts Festival, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Spain’s International Music Festival Pórtico do Paraíso etc. The diverse range of musicians and instruments she has been fortunate to write for are a constant source of creative inspiration and include; Dame Evelyn Glennie, Barbara Thompson, Grace Davidson, Elena Urioste, Claire Moore, Clio Gould, Nicholas McCarthy, Rebeca Omordia, Her Ensemble, 4-Mality, The Locrian Ensemble of London, Justin Pearson, The Safri Duo, contemporary urban dance company Union Dance and many others.
For Drama she has scored Under Milk Wood (Plymouth’s Theatre Royal), Macbeth (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Black Sheep (Young Vic Theatre), Deborah Moggach’s Double Take (Chichester’s Minerva Theatre), the UK tour of Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca and Nino D’Introna’s Angeli Ai Confini, Teatro Del’Angolo tour Italy/Switzerland. Soundtracks for BBC Radio 3 and 4 Dramas include Javier Mariás’ Tomorrow in the Battle Think on Me, Sartre’s trilogy The Roads To Freedom, Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler, Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, Robert Ferguson’s Dr. Ibsen’s Ghosts and Jane Austen’s Lady Susan.
She has been Composer-in-residence and orchestrator since 2014 for the education project Crazy Composers, devised by BAFTA award-winning television producer Robert Howes in partnership with internationally acclaimed baroque orchestra The English Concert, Arts Council England and Buxton International Festival.
Julie’s career began whilst studying composition at Cardiff University, following on from winning the BBC TV Christmas song competition, The Nationwide Carol Competition, at 17. She received her first professional commission for television whilst still at University from BBC Wales for the chat show Celtic Road Show.
Constantly striving to improve gender equality in music, Julie is a huge supporter of the charitable foundation Donne – Women In Music and the vital work done by its founder, soprano Gabriella Di Laccio, to raise awareness of Women Composers and Musicians.
CREDITS
Seasons Published by BBC Production Music/Universal Production Music | Conductor John Ashton Thomas Producer Jez Poole Engineer Paul Golding | Evocative chamber ensemble tracks featuring the BBC Concert Orchestra, depicting the seasons in pastoral settings scored for Nature Documentaries & Human Stories. Recorded at Masterchord Studio, London. |
Symphonic Skies Published by Audio Network | Cinematic Orchestral Soprano Grace Davidson / Conductor Matt Slater | Atmospheric cinematic orchestral soundscapes featuring the haunting soprano vocal of Grace Davidson, inspired by the four elements of nature. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London. |
Cinematic Gamescapes Universal Production Music/Chappell | Film and Cinematic Games | Suspenseful orchestral scores for Cinematic Games and Film (multi-composer). Recorded at Angel Studios, London. |
Haunted By The Secret Universal Production Music/Chappell Noir | Winner of the Award for Best Score, The Production Music Awards 2016 Producer Clare Owens / Engineer Steve Price Conductor Simon Hale | Cinematic Orchestral Psychological Crime Thriller – Film. Recorded at Angel Studios, London. |
Widescreen Elegance Universal Production Music/Chappell | Conductor Andrew Skeet Producer Clare Owens / Engineer Steve Price | Cinematic Orchestral Drama – Film. Recorded at Angel Studios, London. |
Human Stories EMI Production Music | Producer Hannah King, Connie Edwards, Conductor Mike Dixon, Engineer Andrew Dudman | Orchestral – TV Drama. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London. |
Whispering Tales Audio Network | Producer Andrew Sunnucks /Engineer Steve Price | Chamber Ensemble – TV Drama/Wildlife. Recorded at Angel Studios, London. |
Where The Water Flows KPM/EMI Production Music | Conductor David Firman Producer Hannah King Engineer Gerry O’Riordan | Chamber Ensemble – TV/Film Drama. Recorded at Mark Angelo Studio, London. |
Natural Life De Wolfe Production Music | Conductor David Firman Producer Warren De Wolfe Engineer Gary Thomas | Chamber Ensemble – Wildlife/Natural History Documentary. Recorded at Angel Studios, London. |
Piano Sketches De Wolfe Production Music | Producer Warren De Wolfe Engineer Gary Thomas | Piano – Drama - Wildlife/Natural History Documentary. Recorded at Angel Studios, London. |
Country Challenge | Yorkshire Television | |
Physical Pursuits | ITV/LWT | |
Innocent Drinks ‘Bolt From The Blue’ | Television advertising campaign soundtrack | |
Imagination Group Natwest, Ford, Accenture | Advertising campaign |
‘Falling In Air’ - Symphonic Skies | Julie Cooper | Broadcast on ‘In The Park’ & ‘The Space’ programmes | Scala Radio |
Tomorrow In The Battle Think On Me | Javier Marías | Director: Eoin O’Callaghan | Radio 4 |
The Roads To Freedom Trilogy | Jean-Paul Sartre | Director: Alby James | Radio 4 |
The Winter’s Tale | Shakespeare | Director: Eoin O’Callaghan | Radio 3 |
Hedda Gabler | Ibsen | Director: Eoin O’Callaghan | Radio 3 |
Dr. Ibsen’s Ghosts | Robert Ferguson | Director: Ned Chaillet | Radio 3 |
Lady Susan | Jane Austen | Director: Jocelyn Boxall | Radio 4 |
Under Milk Wood | Dylan Thomas | Director: Hugh Wooldridge | Plymouth Theatre Royal, Liverpool Playhouse |
Macbeth | William Shakespeare | Director: William Gaunt | Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park, London |
Double Take | Deborah Moggach | Director: Hugh Wooldridge | Chichester Festival Theatre |
Angeli Ai Confini | Nino D’Introna | Director - Nino D’Introna | Teatro Dell’Angolo, Italy + Am Stram Gram, Geneva |
Black Sheep | Derrick Cameron | Director: Alby James | Young Vic, London, UK Tour and Holland |
Rebecca | Daphne Du Maurier | Director: Hugh Wooldridge | Windsor Theatre Royal, UK Tour |
The Business of Murder | Richard Harris | Director: Hugh Wooldridge | Thorndike Theatre, Leatherhead, UK Tour |
White and Silver | Published by SONY/ATV from the ‘Human Stories’ Album KPM817 | Performed by the HER Ensemble (Leader Ellie Consta) - Colours Hoxton, London 5th November, 2022 |
White and Silver | Published by SONY/ATV from the ‘Human Stories’ Album KPM817 | Performed by Julie Cooper (piano) and the HER Ensemble (Leader Ellie Consta) Elgar Room, Royal Albert Hall, 23rd October, 2022 |
Ascensio | Performed by Rebeca Omordia | World Premiere and recorded by Rebeca Omordia for release on Signum Records, 2023 Elgar Room, Royal Albert Hall, 23rd October, 2022 |
Galilean Moons | Performed by Nicholas McCarthy | Snape Maltings, Aldeburgh May 23rd, 2021. Opening weekend of post-lockdown concerts |
Galilean Moons | Performed by Nicholas McCarthy | Dorchester Arts Centre February, 2021 |
Galilean Moons | Performed by Nicholas McCarthy | Royal Albert Hall ‘Royal Albert Home’ Virtual concert series, August 2020 (virtual) |
Galilean Moons | Performed by Nicholas McCarthy | Hong Kong Arts Festival, March 2020 (virtual) |
Galilean Moons | Performed by Nicholas McCarthy | Premiere St.Martin-in-the-Fields, London, November 2019 |
LIGHT | Solo Soprano Grace Davidson, clarinet Helen Paskins, cello Justin Pearson, piano Julie Cooper | Premiere St.Martin-in-the-Fields, London (2018) |
Still Silent | Soprano Ellie Mead The Locrian Ensemble and Locrian Singers of London Cond. Paul Bateman Lyric from Walter de La Mare’s poem ‘Snow’ by kind permission of the Walter De La Mare Literary Estate | Premiere St.Martin-in-the-Fields, London (2013) |
Sceptre of The Dove | Flutes Andy Findon The Locrian Ensemble of London Conductor: David Firman HRH Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Proms, SMITF | Premiere St.Martin-in-the-Fields (2012) |
SEASONS | Percussion Oliver Cox, The City Of London Philharmonic, Conductor Kevin Amos | Devised by Hugh Wooldridge (2012) Royal Albert Hall, London |
Pride Of Honour | Opening Fanfare of the 2011 Wales Festival Of Remembrance in celebration of the Royal British Legion’s 90th Anniversary. Conductor Major Denis Burton MBE | Premiere St.David’s Hall, Cardiff (2011) |
Ad Astra | Choral work, 2010 soprano performances by Annett Wardell and Claire Moore , The Locrian Ensemble of London. Conductor David Firman. | Premiere St.Martin-in-the-Fields (2010) |
Spirit Of The Sound | Aidy Spillett’s percussion quartet 4-MALITY UK Tour, Branscombe Festival, Portiso Do Paraiso International Music Festival | Premiere The Stables, Wavendon (2009) |
CARIAD | Cello: Justin Pearson The Locrian Ensemble of London Conductor: David Firman UK Tour, Civic Hall Cork, The Helix Dublin CD released on Cirrus Records 2009 (Amazon, iTunes, cdBaby, Spotify) recorded Angel Studios, London | Premiere St.Martin-in-the-Fields (2008) |
Serenading Tides | Chamber work featuring soprano Claire Moore, cello Nick Roberts and piano Julie Cooper | Premiere Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall, New York (2007) |
FourSquareFireDance | Dance work performed by Union Dance to choreographed fireworks on the Thames. Violin Ralph Allin, Saxophone Phil Todd, Percussion Alasdair Malloy, Piano Simon Hale/Julie Cooper | Henley Festival (2004) |
SEASONS | Percussion The Safri Duo Stage Band Rod Argent, Lucy Wakeford, Andy Findon, Phil Todd, Mitch Dalton, Jeremy Meehan, Harold Fisher, Kelvin Thomson, Julie Cooper, Stephen Disley, Claire Moore and the Brass Ensemble of the Welsh Guards. Conductor: David Firman | Royal Albert Hall - London. (November 1994) |
SEASONS | Stage Band conducted by Andy Read. | BBC Radio 2 : The Collins Collection presented by Stewart Collins. |
SEASONS | Percussion Dame Evelyn Glennie and Stage Band Gala performance. Conductor Michael Reed. Prose written for this performance by Christopher Fry, spoken by Dame Judi Dench, Imogen Stubbs, Jeremy irons & Robert Powell. | St.Paul's, London (December 1990) |
SEASONS | Percussion Dame Evelyn Glennie Commissioned for Dame Evelyn Glennie and stage band by Chichester Festival. Conductor David Firman. Devised by Hugh Wooldridge | World Premiere Chichester Cathedral, Chichester Festival (July 1990) |
CONTINUUM | Signum Classics SIGCD364 | Producer Jonathan Allen Conductor Jessica Cottis Writer / Narrator Adjoa Andoh Oculus Ensemble (Leader Clio Gould) Recorded at Abbey Road, Masterchord and ID Audio, London | Featuring Grace Davidson, Elena Urioste, Clio Gould, Nicholas McCarthy, Justin Pearson, Anthony Pike, Julie Cooper | Album Released in February 2022 |
CARIAD | Cirrus Records CR0911 | Conductor David Firman Engineer Gary Thomas Recorded at Angel Studios, London | Cello Justin Pearson Harp Jean Kelly The Locrian Ensemble of London (Leader Rita Manning) | Album Released: |
SERENADING TIDES | - | Soprano Claire Moore Cello Nick Roberts Piano Julie Cooper | - | Album Released: |