Ian Cooke

Ian Cooke is a singer-songwriter who plays cello and piano. He often uses a loop pedal to layer his cello and voice. Over the past 20 years, he has developed a truly original style of music. His influences include classical, pop, film & TV scores, prog-rock, world music, musical theater, and jazz. He was born in Adelaide, Australia, and grew up in Greeley, CO.
 

Cooke has appeared in SPIN magazine and was voted Number One Band in The Denver Post Underground Music poll of 2009. Westword Magazine named him Best Avant-pop Artist and his debut album, The Fall I Fell, Best Album of 2007.

Over the years, Cooke has released four albums and a children's book. His third album, Antiquasauria, is a prog-rock concept album about Mesozoic life. It includes a coloring book and a downloadable font that Cooke designed. The album features a song about Quetzalcoatlus, the largest flying animal that ever lived, Writing the song led Cooke to creating a prize-winning, life-sized costume of the giant pterosaur.

Cooke has had the honor of performing at TedXMileHigh, and 3 concerts with the Colorado Symphony at Boettcher Concert Hall. In 2016, Cooke and his band were invited to perform at Red Rocks in a Prince tribute concert preceding a screening of the film Purple Rain. They have also performed with the contemporary ballet company Wonderbound in three collaborations, two featuring all-original compositions by Cooke, and one featuring the music of Queen and David Bowie.

In 2022 Cooke and his partner Colby Foss collaborated to create a piece for Charlotte Ballet's show, Choreographic Lab.