Guest Vocal Recital – Dr. Alfonzo Cooper Jr., Tenor

Bethel University's Music and Theatre Department is excited to welcome Dr. Alfonzo Cooper, tenor, to perform at our Lakeside Center.

Alfonzo “Al” Cooper Jr. is an active vocalist, recitalist, and educator. He currently serves as Assistant Professor of Voice and Director of WIU Opera Theatre. Throughout his career, Cooper has accomplished much in the realms of voice and performing. He has been featured on multiple stages across the U.S. Some of his significant accomplishments as a singer and scholar include performing and competing as a soloist in the 105 Voices of History Choir at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC., the 2014-2015 Winner of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln School of Music Concerto/Aria Solo Competition, presenting and performing for the faculty and students of Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Virginia, and his alma mater, Albany State University in Albany, Georgia.

Cooper, a tenor, has sung major roles in both oratorio and operatic literature. This includes Handel's Messiah, J.S. Bach's Magnificat, Strauss' Die Fledermaus, Offenbach's Les Contes D'Hoffmann, Donizetti's Don Pasquale. Dr. Cooper has studied and coached with several prominent figures in the vocal world. Names include: Leroy Bynum Jr., Linda Bannister, Angela Blalock, Barbara Hendricks, AGT's Travis Pratt, Peter Strummer, Rachael Copeland-Skiba, and William Shomos. A true southerner and native of Georgia, Cooper champions the music of African Americans. His research focuses on the impact of the African American experience and Black Church culture and its influence on classical music. 

Cooper holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music (Voice) from Albany State University; a Historically Black College & University (HBCU) in Southwest Georgia, and both Master's (2015) and Doctoral (2020) degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Cooper holds memberships in the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), National Association of Negro Musicians (NANM), Pi Kappa Lambda International Honor Music Society, Inc., Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, Inc., and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Cooper's full bio can be found on the WIU website.