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Sophie
Cooper

Music

Sophie Cooper is a sound artist who Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (hcmf//) refer to as “A crucial member of Yorkshire’s far-reaching experimental music scene”. Sophie’s practice pivots around new presentations of acoustic instrumentation (primarily the trombone) with electronics, challenging conventions around composition, text placement and performance.

In recent years, Sophie has been particularly interested in publicly engaged, site specific, audio work, often in collaboration with visual artists. She has had work exhibited at The John Rylands Research Institute and Library, Wordsworth Grasmere Museum, Bury Art Gallery, Hereford Courtyard Art Centre and Gallery Frank as well as music venues including Cafe Oto and hcmf//.

Performing ‘Dial-a-Bone’ in Cushendall, N. Ireland. Photo by Sandra Bouguerch

“a wonderful British musician who plays lightly deranged guitar and/or keys while singing like she sees bats everywhere” 

Bryon Coley, The Wire

Curation

Sophie is heavily involved in the UK underground DIY scene promoting regular shows in Todmorden, West Yorkshire under the name Tor Bookings and is the founder of Tor Festival. 

Education

Sophie is a creative facilitator specialising in music technology, creative mentoring, composition and music for early years. Recent clients include, National Concert Hall, Dublin, Yorkshire Sound Women network, NYMAZ , Sound and Music and Rhythm Time. Sophie also manages learning and participation projects for hcmf// in Huddersfield.

Sophie is co-chair for the Daphne Oram Trust supporting the development of new electronic music and is a member of Ebor Studio. 

Awards

2023 – Music Led Creative Collaboration, Help Musicians
2021 – DYCP (Developing your creative practice), Arts Council England
2020 – Ivor Novello Composers Award nominee in Sound Art

Supported by Help Musicians throughout 2023