Hannah Cooke - mezzo
Hannah Cooke enjoys an eclectic career as a singer in repertoire ranging from the very old to the contemporary.
Growing up in a household of musicians, her mother a singer and music teacher and her father a choral conductor, Hannah has been surrounded by singing and music-making all her life.
Hannah studied Modern and Medieval Languages (German and Russian) at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where she was also an academic and choral scholar.
Since then, Hannah has carved out a particular specialism in the field of ensemble and consort singing working with many of the finest groups in the UK and beyond, as well as appearing as a soloist with choral societies throughout the UK. A core member of Tenebrae, Hannah has sung with the group since 2014 on award-winning recordings and in concerts across the globe. Hannah also sings regularly at the Southwell Music Festival, with The Tallis Scholars, Arcangelo, Collegium Vocale Gent, ORA Singers, Eric Whitacre Singers, Polyphony, Alamire, BBC Singers and as a session singer with London Voices and RSVP Voices.
During the Covid pandemic, Hannah took a Creative Writing module at the Open University, passing with Distinction, and plans to pursue her writing further in the future.
In March 2024, Hannah was awarded a grant from Arts Council England as part of their ‘Develop Your Creative Practice’ scheme, with the remit to explore contemporary performance practice and repertoire, develop her own artistic voice and make new connections within the realm of contemporary music. This year-long period of development will culminate in a performance and recording in 2025, which will also include texts written by Hannah.
Inspired after participating in a masterclass led by Juliet Fraser as part of ‘Voicebox’, Hannah will launch a new series, ‘Hatch’, in January 2025. Hatch will be dedicated to providing a space for singers of contemporary repertoire to share, workshop or perform new work with the opportunity for peer feedback in a supportive environment.
Hannah is a mum to a busy 2 year old, and a French Bulldog, Finzi. When not singing, or parenting, Hannah enjoys practicing yoga, dog walks, cooking, reading and swimming in the sea.
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Photo credit: Ben McKee