Joseph Cooper is the trumpet professor at Oklahoma State University. He is a dedicated educator and an active performer with extensive experience in teaching students of all ages. He performs as a freelance musician and in the chamber groups Composite Brass and Mirari.
Cooper has been a highly active freelance musician for over twenty years. Since moving to Oklahoma, he is a substitute musician with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, the Tulsa Symphony, and the Tulsa Ballet. Previously, he was highly active in both Austin and Houston appearing with the Austin Symphony, Austin Opera and the Houston Grand Opera, among others. Not confined by geographical boundaries, he has performed across the United States and internationally in Hong Kong, Japan, China, the United Kingdom, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Germany.
Embracing the power of music to foster connections, Cooper endeavors to engage audiences through chamber music, commissioning new works, and fostering outreach initiatives. He is a respected clinician and has presented clinics and masterclasses for aspiring musicians at universities and for national and international conferences. In 2021, Cooper co-founded the Composite Brass duo, alongside saxophonist John Salinas. Together, they are commissioning and arranging new works, expanding the repertoire for trumpet and saxophone duo. Additionally, he joins the Mirari Brass Quintet in the Fall of 2023.
Cooper actively serves both the International Trumpet Guild and the National Trumpet Competition, most recently providing book reviews for the ITG journal and as an adjudicator at the 2023 National Trumpet Competition. He holds music degrees from Indiana University-Bloomington (BM), Rice University (MM), and The University of Texas at Austin (DMA).