Contemporary music advocate Carson Cooman presents a recital of works from the past two decades in this week's recital on the C.B. Fisk Organ at Old West Church. Cooman's program will include James Woodman's Church Sonata I (1992), Tim Rozema's Prelude & Fugue in F (2004), Christian Asplund's Toccata (2005) and Jim Dalton's Sestina for G.F.H. (2006).
An American organist and composer, Carson Cooman holds degrees in music from Harvard University and Carnegie Mellon University and since 2006 has held the position of Composer in Residence at The Memorial Church, Harvard University. As an organ recitalist, Cooman specializes in the performance of contemporary music. Over 100 composers from around the world have written new works for him. He has given premiere performances of works by many of the present era’s most distinguished living composers including Peter Maxwell Davies, Emma Lou Diemer, Michael Finnissy, Jennifer Higdon, Jo Kondo, Robert Moran, Colin Mawby, and Daniel Pinkham. Cooman has recorded organ music for ASV/Blackbox, JADE Records, and Zimbel Records. As a composer, Cooman's catalog of works range from solo instrumental pieces to operas, from orchestral works to hymn tunes. His work has been performed on all six inhabited continents and appears on over 35 recordings, including 16 complete CDs on the Naxos, Albany, Artek, Altarus, MSR Classics, Raven, and Zimbel labels.
