Zachary Cooper

Dr. Zachary Cooper is a dedicated performer and educator and he is passionate about cultivating the next generation of musicians. Cooper’s devotion to teaching horn has shaped the careers of numerous students, many of whom have earned scholarships to renowned universities and conservatories across the United States. His guidance has led students to successful careers as both educators and performers, reflecting his commitment to nurturing talent and fostering excellence. 

Cooper is newly appointed principal horn of the Carmel Symphony Orchestra and he has recently performed as guest principal with the Richmond (IN) Symphony and Evansville Philharmonic. His orchestral journey commenced at an early age, with notable performances alongside orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra (UK) and the Orlando Philharmonic when he was 16. At the age of 19, he won his first audition as second horn with the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, marking the beginning of a flourishing career. His rich orchestral background includes positions as principal horn in the Missoula Symphony, associate principal horn in the Helena Symphony, and a multitude of performances with more than two dozen orchestras, including the Dayton Philharmonic, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Indianapolis Opera, Memphis Symphony, and Orquesta Sinfónica de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo Leon in Monterrey, Mexico, to name a few. Highlights of his performance career to date include performing Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings with the String Orchestra of the Rockies, the Corno Obligato for the Scherzo of Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 with the Glacier Symphony, and performing alongside musical acts like Mannheim Steamroller.

An avid chamber musician, Cooper is a founding member of several chamber groups, including Entropy, a horn and trombone duo in collaboration with Dr. Nathan Dishman, and Cooper Duo, a horn and flute duo in collaboration with Dr. Jennifer Cooper. Most recently, Cooper has focused his scholarly research on commissioning new works to increase the horn repertoire with an emphasis on supporting minority and BIPOC composers, either as the sole commissioner or by joining commissioning consortiums. New works supported by his efforts include Sonata for horn and piano (Anthony Plog), Sure-Fire for horn and wind ensemble (Catherine Likhuta), El Viaje for horn ensemble (Aliyah Danielle), One More Mountain for horn, trombone, and piano (Amy Riebs Mills), Entropy for horn and trombone (Austin Hammonds), Wunlit for solo horn (Shawn Okpebholo), Passages for flute, horn, and piano (Paul Basler), become/decay for flute and horn (Tyler Kline), and The Final Battle Cry for solo horn (Alexis Carrier). Cooper  has presented lectures and performances at the International Horn Symposium, International Women's Brass Conference, National Flute Association Convention, Southeast Horn Workshop, and Northwest Horn Symposium, to name a few.  

Cooper's academic journey has been marked by significant achievements, including being named to his current position as Assistant Professor of Horn and Music Theory and Coordinator of Brass at Butler University. Previously, Cooper was a tenured professor at the University of Montana where he worked for eight years as Chair of Music Theory and Chair of Brass and Percussion and received recognition as a Student Wellness Advocate.  He has served in leadership roles for several organizations in the horn world. Cooper was three times elected by the membership to serve on the board of  the Northwest Horn Society, as President (2023 until moving away from the region) and twice as Secretary (2023-2020, 2020-2017). He also served the International Horn Society as the State Representative of Montana.

Cooper holds degrees from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and Florida State University. He studied under the mentorship of esteemed teachers such as Dr. William Capps, Duane Dugger, Randy Gardner, and William C. Robinson, the founder of the International Horn Society.