Ian Cooper

2 X "MO" Award Winner “Instrumental performer of the year”

2 X ACE Award Winner “Instrumentalist of the year”

5 X Golden Fiddle Awards, Tamworth Country Music Festival

1 X ARIA Platinum selling CD

"…a violinist of Olympic Proportions…"

Ian Cooper was commissioned to compose and perform the "Tin Symphony" for the opening ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney. The event was televised worldwide with an estimated 2.85 billion viewers. He is Australia's most exciting virtuoso violinist and his high-energy and humorous performances draw on musical styles including Classical, Gypsy, Jazz, Irish, Tango, Latin, the Blues and even a touch of Cowboy music.

He has appeared in Australia and overseas, live and on recordings with artists as diverse as Australian Jazz trumpeter James Morrison, George Benson, John Farnham, Marcia Hines, Tommy Emmanuel, Melinda Schneider, Mary Schneider, Andrea Bocelli, David Helfgott, Neil Sedaka and Olivia Newton-John.

Born into a family of classical musicians Ian began playing the violin at the age of four. He was his mother's first pupil. His live television debut was at age 5 where he performed “The Three Grenadiers” by Schumann on Channel 7 Australia, and he began competing in Eisteddfods soon after. Ian began his world travels at age six and wowed audiences as a child star in the U.S.A. and Canada, and in following years in Britain, Europe and Japan on their NHK TV network. At age 12 he performed with the Vienna Boys Choir in their hometown.

Ian was awarded a scholarship to the New South Wales Conservatorium of Music at age eight and continued his training there for the next ten years.

After meeting the French violinist Stéphane Grappelli Ian swung his attention towards Jazz, and his fiery approach to the Devil's Instrument became reminiscent of the music of the Quintet of the Hot Club of France. Today Cooper continues to perform classical concerts as a soloist with orchestras and is equally at home playing Jazz concerts. He is a regular guest artist of Jazz trumpeter James Morrison, and has also appeared with Silverchair, Simon Tedeschi, Tommy Tycho, Max Bygraves, Barry White, Deni Hines, The Backsliders, Hoodoo Gurus, Wendy Matthews and Doc Neeson & The Angels.

Ian has released 8 CDs, the latest being Ballads and Bossa Nova featuring Australian vocalist Emma Pask. Among his live performance accolades, Ian Cooper has received 2 MO Awards, 2 ACE Awards, 5 Golden Fiddle Awards and a platinum “ARIA” Award for his Olympic Opening Ceremony composition “Tin Symphony". Ian is also a qualified pilot and flies to concerts around Australia. He has composed soundtracks for Discovery Channel and is a keen yachtsman in his spare time.