John Cooper

John Cooper attended the Royal Northern College of Music, studying clarinet with Sydney Fell and saxophone with Neville Duckworth. Whilst there he was instrumental in the RNCM’s adoption of the saxophone onto the syllabus, becoming the first student to gain the Professional Performance Diploma on the instrument.

On leaving college John worked for two years in the Orquestra Sinfonica de Bilbao in Northern Spain before returning to the northwest to pursue a busy and varied freelance career. After a further two years he was appointed Sub Principal and Principal E flat Clarinet to the then BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra. During his career at the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, John has covered every seat in the single reed section from tenor sax to first clarinet. He has played all the symphonic saxophone and E flat clarinet repertoire many times and brings his vast experience of orchestral playing to the college.

John is also active in the fields of chamber music and jazz.