MICHAEL ANDREW COONEY, of Fairfield, CT, received his Masters and Bachelors of Music degrees in classical piano performance from the University of Connecticut as a student of Dr. Neal Larrabee. He studied jazz piano with Ellen Rowe and Dave Santoro. Mr. Cooney has performed as soloist with the Uconn Wind Ensemble, Eastern Connecticut Symphony, Harkness Summer Music Festival Orchestra and the Meriden Symphony Orchestra. He has participated in master classes with artists such as Steven Osborne, Harold Danko, Dr. Billy Taylor, Awadagin Pratt, and Philip Setzer of the Emerson String Quartet.
In addition to his performing, Mr. Cooney studied composition with Dr. Avo Somer. The Faculty Arts Trio of the University of Connecticut premiered his piano trio entitled “Velvet Trio, Op. 5” in 2001. He was awarded a full scholarship to attend the Dartington International Summer School in Devon, England, to study composition with Kurt Schwertsik of the Vienna Conservatory. A setting of 5 Emily Dickinson poems for voice and piano gained him the ASCAP plus award, citing his contributions to American Music in 2011. He has written several sacred works including a mass setting “Novus Missarum Solemnia,” a psalm/tract cycle for Lent, and a setting of the Nunc Dimittis. He has presented on composition at the CT Music Educators Association conference.
Most recently, he earned a graduate diploma from the Film Scoring Academy of Europe (Sofia, Bulgaria) under the direction of Dr. Andy Hill and mentor Mark Kuypers.
Mr. Cooney proudly served in the Infantry for the New Haven 1/102nd CT Army National Guard for 8 years and was honorably discharged in 2001. He earned the Army Achievement and Army Commendation medals, as well as Soldier of the Year for his Battalion in 1998. He also holds a 1st Dan Black Belt from World Champion Taekwondo in Fairfield, CT.