Composer & Concert organist; Organ & Choral editor for Lorenz Publishing & Sacred Music Press
Carson Cooman (b. 1982) is an active organ recitalist specializing primarily in new music. He presents programs showcasing the diversity of organ music from the 20th and 21st centuries, featuring works of composers of many different nationalities. Engaging and interesting programs are constructed that appeal even to those audience members who may not think they are interested in new music.
Carson has been highly acclaimed by audiences, press, and composers for his interpretations and performances of contemporary works, many of which have been composed for him.
Carson has a great interest and specialization in music for chamber organs. He has engaged in an ongoing commissioning project developing new repertoire for small organs and is very comfortable and enthusiastic about playing recitals on even the very smallest organs.
Carson is also a composer with a catalog of hundreds of works in many forms—from solo instrumental pieces to operas, and from orchestral works to hymn tunes. His music has been performed on all six inhabited continents in venues that range from the stage of Carnegie Hall to the basket of a hot air balloon. Cooman’s music appears on over forty recordings, including more than twenty-five complete CDs on the Naxos, Albany, Artek, Gothic, Divine Art, Métier, Diversions, Convivium, Altarus, MSR Classics, Raven, and Zimbel labels. Cooman’s primary composition studies were with Bernard Rands, Judith Weir, Alan Fletcher, and James Willey. As an active concert organist, Cooman specializes in the performance of contemporary music. Over 300 new compositions by more than 100 international composers have been written for him, and his organ performances can be heard on a number of CD releases and more than 6,000 recordings available online (representing the work of more than 700 composers). Cooman is also a writer on musical subjects, producing articles and reviews frequently for a number of international publications. For more information, visit www.carsoncooman.com