Baritone Robert Cooper In Concert
Saturday, February 27 at 7:30pm
$10 suggested donation benefitting the Janice Gockel Scholarship Fund
with soprano Cathy Sims and pianist Charles Hiestand
Chicago baritone Robert L. Cooper returns to Music Center of the Northwest to present an elegant evening of Spirituals and Broadway Musical Ballads. The program will include Broadway favorites from A Chorus Line, Carousel, Cats, Funny Girl, and Phantom of the Opera as well as traditional American spirituals by H.T. Burleigh, Moses Hogan, Mark Hays, and Lawrence Brown.
Dr. Cooper holds a Bachelor degree in voice and opera from the University of Memphis and Master and Ph.D. degrees in Music in Conducting from Northwestern University and the University of Washington. He began his professional career with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and has performed extensively in opera, in addition to musical theater. His roles include Angelotti in Tosca, the Usher in Rigoletto, Porgy in Porgy and Bess, Joe in Showboat, and Booker T. Washington in the broadway musical hit Ragtime; he has sung leading roles with major orchestras conducted by Zdenek Macal, Jeffrey Tate, and Jesus Lopez-Cobos. Dr. Cooper’s 2003-2004 concert season included Wotan in Die Walkure as part of a Ring Gala with the Boston Symphony, an appearance at the Kinen Festival in Japan, four performances of Beethoven’s Ninth with the Vancouver Symphony, and a recording and performance of the title book “My Jim” by author Nancy Rawles.
Cathy Sims, soprano
Cathy Sims is a native Seattleite; she enjoys community theatre and loves to sing classical, jazz, gospel, contemporary ballads and traditional spirituals. Cathy studied voice with Janeanne Houston and at the Vocal
Performance Program at Pacific Lutheran University. Cathy has a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology and Women’s Studies from the University of Washington and an Associates Degree in Graphic Design and Illustration from Seattle Central Community College. Cathy can be heard regularly at St. Therese Church where she cantors for Saturday night mass and community events and celebrations.
Charles Hiestand, piano
Charles Hiestand has a Doctorate in Musical Arts from the University of Washington, as well as a Master of Arts from Mills College and a Bachelor of Music from Berklee College of Music. He is a composer, piano player, bass player, and record producer, playing with a number of ensembles in the Seattle area. He is noted for his unique jazz style and his beautiful classical compositions. He works part-time as the music director for St Benedict Catholic Church, and the rest of his time is divided between teaching, playing, and recording.
