{"id":2091,"date":"2023-01-18T06:00:29","date_gmt":"2023-01-18T13:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.svmusicfestival.org\/?post_type=people&p=2091"},"modified":"2023-01-18T06:57:32","modified_gmt":"2023-01-18T13:57:32","slug":"sasha-cooke","status":"publish","type":"people","link":"https:\/\/www.svmusicfestival.org\/staging\/people\/sasha-cooke\/","title":{"rendered":"Sasha Cooke"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201c\u2026anytime you add Cooke into the mix, there\u2019s a whole new level of magic involved. She brings an extraordinary wealth of tonal color to a performance, as well as a degree of emotional intensity that can be almost unnerving in its focus.\u201d
\n\u2014San Francisco Chronicle<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Two-time Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke has been called a \u201cluminous standout\u201d by the\u00a0New York Times<\/em>\u00a0and \u201cequal parts poise, radiance and elegant directness\u201d by\u00a0Opera News<\/em>. She has performed with the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, English National Opera, Seattle Opera, Op\u00e9ra National de Bordeaux, and Gran Teatre del Liceu, among others, and with over 80 symphony orchestras worldwide, often performing the works of Mahler. This season marks Ms. Cooke\u2019s appointment at the Music Academy of the West as Co-Director of the Lehrer Vocal Institute.<\/p>\n

Ms. Cooke opens the 2022-23 season with a return to Houston Grand Opera in her role debut as Thirza in the company\u2019s new production of Dame Ethel Smyth\u2019s\u00a0The Wreckers,<\/em>\u00a0conducted by Patrick Summers. On the concert stage, she performs throughout the U.S. and abroad: in Elgar\u2019s\u00a0The Dream of Gerontius<\/em>\u00a0with Wiener Konzerthaus; Mahler\u2019s\u00a0Das Lied von der Erde<\/em>\u00a0with Houston Symphony, conducted by Juraj Val\u010duha; Michael Tilson Thomas\u2019s\u00a0Meditations on Rilke<\/em>\u00a0with the New York Philharmonic, conducted by the composer; Mahler\u2019s\u00a0Symphony No. 3\u00a0with New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, alongside Gemma New; and Mozart\u2019s Requiem with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, conducted by Klaus M\u00e4kel\u00e4 and later with Nashville Symphony.<\/p>\n

She debuts with Orchestra dell\u2019Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Mahler\u2019s\u00a0Symphony No. 3,\u00a0conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano, and the Utah Symphony in Mendelssohn\u2019s\u00a0Elijah,<\/em>\u00a0which she later performs with NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra under the baton of Alan Gilbert. She makes returns to the Chicago Symphony for works by Vivaldi, the Philadephia Orchestra for Handel\u2019s\u00a0Messiah,<\/em>\u00a0and the Kansas City Symphony for Hindemith\u2019s\u00a0When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom\u2019d<\/em>. Special collaborations on the recital stage include Jake Heggie\u2019s\u00a0Intonations: Songs for the Violins of Hope<\/em>\u00a0with Music of Remembrance; recitals with guitarist Jason Vieaux at San Francisco Performances and Round Top Festival; and a recital at Kaufman Music Center, alongside pianist Kirill Kuzmin, featuring\u00a0how do I find you<\/em>, a collection of words and music created in 2020 that was recorded and released on the Pentatone label.<\/p>\n

In the 2021-22 season, Ms. Cooke returned to the Metropolitan Opera both for her role debut as Cherubino in\u00a0Le nozze di Figaro<\/em>, under the baton of James Gaffigan, and as Eduige in\u00a0Rodelinda<\/em>, under the baton of Harry Bicket. She joined the Minnesota Orchestra for Mahler\u2019s\u00a0Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen<\/em>\u00a0and subsequently for Mahler\u2019s\u00a0Symphony No. 8<\/em>, the latter conducted by Osmo V\u00e4nsk\u00e4. She also joined the Houston Symphony for Nadia Boulanger\u2019s\u00a0Faust et H\u00e9l\u00e8ne<\/em>, led by Fabien Gabel, and again for Mahler\u00a0Symphony No. 2 \u201cResurrection,\u201d\u00a0led by Andr\u00e9s Orozco-Estrada. Additionally, she performed Michael Tilson Thomas\u2019s\u00a0Meditations on Rilke<\/em>\u00a0with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by the composer; Berlioz\u2019s\u00a0B\u00e9atrice et B\u00e9n\u00e9dict<\/em>\u00a0with Festival de la C\u00f4te Saint-Andr\u00e9, led by John Nelson; Beethoven\u2019s\u00a0Symphony No. 9\u00a0with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra; Mahler\u2019s\u00a0Symphony No. 2 \u201c<\/em>Resurrection\u201d<\/em>\u00a0with the Oregon Symphony; Jake Heggie\u2019s\u00a0The Work at Hand<\/em>\u00a0and Elgar\u2019s\u00a0Sea Pictures<\/em>\u00a0with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, led by Gemma New; and Mahler\u2019s\u00a0Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen<\/em>\u00a0with the New World Symphony. Finally, she gave a solo recital alongside pianist Myra Huang at the Tucson Desert Song Festival, where she premiered a new work by Jennifer Higdon, and returned to the Music Academy of the West as Artist-in-Residence.<\/p>\n

Last season marked the release of Ms. Cooke\u2019s new album, entitled\u00a0how do I find you<\/em>. The recording, which features 17 newly written songs by Caroline Shaw, Nico Muhly, Missy Mazzoli, Jimmy Lopez, and others, is intended as a tribute to both the struggles and hopes of artists that have been wrought by the pandemic. The album can be listened to on all streaming platforms.<\/p>\n

As a dedicated recitalist, Ms. Cooke was presented by Young Concert Artists in her widely acclaimed New York and Washington debuts at Carnegie\u2019s Zankel Hall and the Kennedy Center. She has also appeared in recital at Alice Tully Hall, The Wigmore Hall, the Kennedy Center, and The 92nd Street Y. Her recordings can be found on the Hyperion, BIS, Chandos, Pentatone, Naxos, Bridge Records, Yarlung, GPR Records, and Sono Luminus labels. Most recently, she appears on recordings including\u00a0Intonations: Songs from the Violins of Hope<\/em>\u00a0by Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer on Pentatone; Michael Tilson Thomas\u2019\u00a0Meditations on Rilke<\/em>\u00a0with the San Francisco Symphony, which won the 2021 Grammy Award for Best Classical Compendium;\u00a0L\u2019enfance du Christ\u00a0<\/em>with Sir Andrew Davis and the Melbourne Symphony on Chandos; Mason Bates\u2019s\u00a0The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs<\/em>\u00a0on Pentatone, which won the 2019 Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording; a recording of Mahler\u2019s\u00a02nd Symphony\u00a0with Osmo V\u00e4nsk\u00e4 and the Minnesota Orchestra on BIS; and\u00a0Sasha Cooke LIVE,<\/em>\u00a0a collection of her performances from the Music@Menlo chamber music festival, released on their label.<\/p>\n

A graduate of Rice University and The Juilliard School, Ms. Cooke also attended the Music Academy of the West, Aspen Music Festival, Ravinia Festival\u2019s Steans Music Institute, Wolf Trap Foundation, Marlboro Music Festival, Metropolitan Opera\u2019s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, and Seattle Opera and Central City Opera\u2019s Young Artist Training Programs. She has given masterclasses throughout the United States, Australia, and Canada. She lives near Houston, Texas with her daughters, Evelyn and Julia, and husband, baritone Kelly Markgraf.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":11163,"template":"","class_list":["post-2091","people","type-people","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"instrument_department":"Mezzo-soprano","sun_valley_title":"","home_organization_title":"","performance_dates":"August 9 and 10"},"yoast_head":"\nSasha Cooke - Sun Valley Music Festival<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sasha Cooke - Sun Valley Music Festival\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201c\u2026anytime you add Cooke into the mix, there\u2019s a whole new level of magic involved. 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