A violinist with “absolute conviction and glimmering silver thread of tone,” (Boston Musical Intelligencer) Thomas Lee Cooper’s passion for music and the violin began at an early age, studying piano with his mother, before subsequently taking up the violin. Since then, Cooper has performed as a soloist in several countries across continents, including Canada, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands, and in such venues as Carnegie Weill Hall in New York City, Severance Hall in Cleveland, Museo Stradivari in Cremona and the Opera House in Tel Aviv. 

Cooper has performed concerti with the Cambridge Chamber Orchestra, the Boston Landmarks Orchestra, the Colorado College Festival Orchestra, the Coeur D’Alene Symphony Orchestra, and the Bar Harbor Music Festival Orchestra among others, and has been broadcasted on WCRB (Boston), WHRB (Harvard), WCVL (Cleveland), and Venice Classical Radio (VCR).

Cooper is a laureate of several prizes and competitions, such as the Naftzger, Washington, and Coeur D’Alene Competitions and most recently the Cremona International Competition, at which he received the First Prize.

As a chamber musician, Cooper has had the fortune of sharing the stage with such groups and individuals as the Oberlin Trio, the Jupiter String Quartet, Ayano Ninomiya, David Bowlin, Amir Eldan, and Evgeny Sinaiski. He is a founding member of the acclaimed Tristan Trio, alongside pianist Aljoša Jurinić, and cellist Tyler James. 

With a love of conductor-less ensemble playing, Cooper has appeared as a guest musician with many of the finest chamber orchestras in the country, including the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and A Far Cry. He has spent his summers performing at Keshet Eilon in Israel, the Mozarteum Summer Academy in Salzburg, Nagold Sommermusik in Bavaria and Festival Orford Musique in Quebec.

A native of the Boston area, Cooper received his early training from the late Hungarian violinist and musicologist, Stephen Erdely. He received his formal training through scholarships at New England Conservatory and Oberlin Conservatory. 

Cooper performs on a “Januarius Gaglianus 1751” on generous loan from a private collection.