Melbourne based, pianist Claire Cooper is a versatile and much sought after associate artist. Claire studied piano at the Canberra School of Music, and later at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. She was repetiteur and accompanist at the Victorian College of the Arts for five years and is currently a staff pianist at the Faculty of Music, University of Melbourne. As a freelance pianist, Claire works as a soloist, associate artist, orchestral pianist, vocal coach and repetiteur. Claire has twice won the Musical Partnership Prize in the City of Melbourne Song Recital Award, in 1998 with Blake Fischer, and in 1999 with Melanie Duncan. Numerous radio broadcasts include Young Australia Program for ABC Classic FM and ABC LIVE broadcast. Claire is releasing a CD of music for flute and piano featuring female Australian composers in 2005. In 2003 she collaborated again with Melanie Duncan in the highly acclaimed Clarified, a multi-media recital which explores the life and music of Clara Schumann. Clarified will feature at the Castlemaine Festival in 2005. Claire Cooper is the official accompanist for the Mietta Song Recital Award for 2004.
