Return to the Frederick Collection Homepage

Historical Piano Concerts Series
About the Musicians

Simon Tedeschi, piano
with Jacob A. Cooper, lyric baritone

Born in Sydney, Australia, in 1981, Simon Tedeschi first performed a Mozart piano concerto at age 9 in the Sydney Opera House. Studying with Neta Maughan from 1990-2000, in 1994 he entered his first International Piano competition, in Italy, where he was voted the "Most Outstanding Performer in all Youth Sections," as well as winning the Open Age Concerto Section, two Piano Sections and his age section. The following year he toured the United States, performing in New York, North Carolina and Texas. In 2000 he commenced study in London with Noretta Conci. Since then he has continued to concertize, performing not only in Australia, but also in England, Wales, and Scotland (at the Edinburgh Festival), New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco, Mexico, Japan, Italy, and other locations around the world.

Simon is currently based in the USA, courtesy of the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust and Professor Jack C Richards. In July 2007, Simon was awarded the 'Young Jewish Pianist' Award (selected and presented by pianist Misha Dichter) and was featured in New York's Emerging Artist Series held at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York. He returned to Australia for a two-piano recital with Australian "pianist laureate" Roger Woodward, a tour of Queensland with flautist Jane Rutter, a tour of Australia with jazz violinist Ian Cooper, a performance of Rhapsody in Blue with the Queensland Orchestra under the baton of Benjamin Northey as well as a recording of the Mozart Piano Concerto K488 with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra under Alexander Briger.

We are pleased to welcome the versatile Simon Tedeschi, described by pianist Leslie Howard as one of the finest musicians of his generation worldwide, to his first performance on the Historical Piano Concerts Series.

~
Colorado native Jacob A. Cooper, baritone, has sung across the country as an early music specialist. He has soloed with Santa Fe Pro Musica, the Providence Singers, Publick Musick, and Boston Secession among others. Other ensembles he has appeared with include the Boston Bach Ensemble, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Schola Cantorum of Boston, Saltarello, and Capella Alamire. Mr. Cooper is a regular in the Boston choral scene, and has worked as a soloist/section leader in several noted churches. He has been recorded with the St. John's Cathedral Choir in Denver, the St. Martin's Chamber Choir, and frequently records new releases for ECS music publishing in Boston. He studied at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts with Laurie Monahan.

Mr. Cooper's opera roles have ranged from performances as Satan in Alessandro Stradella's Esule dalle sfere, through Mozart's Count Almaviva and Holst's Death in Savitri up to Sid in Britten's Albert Herring and David in Barber's A Hand of Bridge. On the recital stage, he has performed Britten, Poulenc, Barber and Brahms, and has premiered works of Stephen Coxe with the composer at the piano. An accomplished photographer and designer, he continues to pursue a variety of professional opportunities.