Calum Cook, Cello

Principal - Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra

Calum has enjoyed a variety of successes throughout his career on his journey to being appointed at Lyric Opera. Since making his concerto debut at the age of 15 playing Brahms Double Concerto with his sister Carol, Calum has appeared as a soloist with the Cardiff Bay Chamber Orchestra, the St Aldhelm’s Symphony Orchestra, the Dorset County Orchestra and at the Kronberg Festival in Germany, the Fairfield Halls in London and at the Edinburgh Festival. He was a finalist in the BBC’s nationally televised Young Musicians competition in 1998, a prize winner at the 1999 Aberdeen International Youth Festival and Gold Medalist at the British Federation of Festivals competition, and he won all available cello prizes at the Royal College of Music. During his time there he studied with Russian cellist Leonid Gorokhov.

After obtaining his Bmus degree, Calum worked extensively with the English Chamber Orchestra, with whom he toured regularly in Europe as well as China, Taiwan, India, Malaysia, Japan, and the USA. Calum also appeared with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, as Assistant Principal Cello with the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and as Guest Principal Cello with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Orchestra of Opera North, Scottish Opera, the BBC Concert Orchestra, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera. Calum was a full-time member of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra from 2004 to 2014. He was also a member of Kokoro, BSO’s contemporary music ensemble, whose performances of new works were often broadcast live on BBC Radio 3.