Elinor Cooper
Bristol-based conductor Elinor Cooper studied at the University of Bristol and Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. She is Musical Director of the Bristol University Singers, Collegium Singers, Taunton and Swindon Choral Society, and Assistant Director of The Rodolfus Choir, where she works closely with Artistic Director Ralph Allwood. Previously, Elinor has worked with Clevedon Choral Society, UWE Singers, Spiro Singers, A Handful of Singers, Cardiff Polyphonic Singers and for 7 years was Assistant Conductor at Bristol Youth Choirs. A graduate of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain, she works as a conductor and section leader on their annual residential courses.
Elinor is a member of professional of professional choir Celestia, and regularly sings as a soprano soloist and ensemble singer with other groups including London Voices, Aquae Sulis and Bath Camerata. She has previously appeared with the Carice Singers, Erebus Ensemble, Mousai Singers, Icosa Singers, with the choirs of Bristol, Exeter and Winchester Cathedrals, and at Bath Abbey. As a soloist, Elinor has performed with Aylesbury Choral Society, Bristol Phoenix Choir, Opera in a Box, Redland Green Choir, Bristol Cathedral Consort and others. She is an alumna both of the National Youth Chamber Choir of Great Britain, with whom she toured to Malta, Utah, and around Great Britain, and The Sixteen’s prestigious training programme, Genesis Sixteen.
Elinor started singing as a child while living in Hong Kong. She studied with Pippa and Colin Judson and later with Angela Hickey at Bristol University and Jeff Stewart at RWCMD. She began conducting while at school, and led the Bristol University Madrigal Ensemble before winning her first professional conducting job aged twenty-one. In 2017 Elinor was accepted into the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, where she studied with Adrian Partington, Sarah Tenant-Flowers, Andrea Brown and Greg Hallam. During her time at the RWCMD, Elinor took part in masterclasses with Alice Farnham, John Butt and Sarah Connolly amongst others, and conducted both the RWCMD Chamber Choir and orchestral ensembles.
Elinor regularly works with recording studios as both a singer and conductor, and has appeared on film and TV soundtracks. In 2021, Elinor was part of the team working on the award-winning advert ‘Twas the night before Christmas’, conducting the original soundtrack with Bristol University Singers. She has sung on recordings with NYCGB, the Carice Singers, Bristol University Singers and others.
For two years, Elinor worked for BBC Music Magazine, writing features, interviews, and reviews. During this time she regularly interviewed international artists such as Kiri Te Kanawa, Tara Erraught and Sakari Oramo. Elinor also managed and developed the magazine’s online presence.
In 2019, Elinor was part of the commissioning team for community opera Time and Tide by Mark Lawrence and Claire Williamson. Elinor worked as producer for the opera, which brought together the local music service, amateur singers, primary and secondary school students and professional musicians to perform a celebration of the 150th anniversary of local landmark Clevedon Pier.
