Palmer Trinity School (PTS) is excited to announce the addition of its first choir director and school organist, Andrew Leslie Cooper. In addition to enriching PTS’s musical program, the school organist Cooper will play during weekly chapel services and at school events, including Baccalaureate ceremonies, graduation, annual lessons, and tree lighting caroling. The leading-edge Casavant Frères organ will be installed in Trinity Chapel by mid-November. Cooper, the British-American musician, conductor, organist, countertenor, and music educator, officially commenced at Palmer Trinity on August 5, 2024.
“We are thrilled to have Andrew join our Performing Arts Department as the leader of our choral program and our new organ director,” said Patrick H.F. Roberts, head of school. “This marks a historic moment for Palmer Trinity School.”
Cooper has been heavily involved in ecclesiastical choir direction over the last decade, most recently as the director of music and organist at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Wilton, Connecticut for the past three years. He has also served in similar roles at Grace Presbyterian Church in Pennsylvania and the United Methodist Church of Berea in Ohio. He was also a graduate assistant conductor at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ.
In addition to his choral experience, Cooper has a strong background in music education including vocal music, piano and music theory. In the UK, he was on the music staff at the King’s School Rochester in Kent—the world’s second oldest school—and at The Frances Bardsley Academy for Girls in East London. In Connecticut, he taught music for the Wilton Public School system.
Cooper also brings with him experience as a vocal performer and theatrical music director. As a countertenor, Andrew has sung with numerous top-tier ensembles including the award-winning group The Gesualdo Six, the Choir of HM Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace, Voces8 Foundation Choir, Tenebrae, the Bach Choir of Holy Trinity in New York City, and other professional groups.
“I cannot wait to join the PTS community this August and look forward to delving into the rewarding work of advancing its choral program. I am enamored with the school’s commitment to fostering well-rounded, globally minded students who lead with love,” shared Cooper. “The construction of the chapel and the imminent installation of the school’s brand-new organ mark a wonderful new chapter in its musical activities and student life. I will strive to create an enriching, inspiring, and joyful environment where these students can grow musically, intellectually, and personally.”
In addition to his role at Palmer Trinity, he will be the organist and choir director at Trinity Cathedral in downtown Miami and will be playing Sunday services at the Cathedral.
Cooper holds a Master of Music in choral conducting from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, and a Bachelor of Music in music theory from Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music in Berea, Ohio.
About Palmer Trinity School:
Palmer Trinity School—a coeducational, Episcopal day school—is dedicated to promoting academic excellence that integrates knowledge, compassion, global citizenship, and social responsibility. Providing a supportive environment, Palmer Trinity School serves students from a broad range of socio-economic, ethnic, and religious backgrounds in grades 6-12. For more information about the school, visit www.palmertrinity.org.
