Background
Royal College of Music
Calum Cook was born in Inverness, Scotland in 1979. He studied at St Mary’s Music School, Edinburgh, and later at the Yehudi Menuhin School in Surrey, before winning a Scholarship to the Royal College of Music in London where he obtained a Bmus(hons) degree.
Calum enjoyed a variety of successes in competition from an early age. At 15 he was a finalist in the Concerto class at the Edinburgh Music Festival, he won a Gold Medal at the British Federation of Festivals the following year, and in ‘98 reached the televised String Final of the BBC Young Musicians competition. He also took part in the ’99 Aberdeen International Youth Festival winning the Skene Award Audience Prize, and whilst attending the Royal College of Music, won both the Helen Just prize and the Wills Gordon prize for cello.
Calum has given numerous concerts both at home and abroad. Notable performances include a solo recital at the Kronberg Festival in Germany, and chamber music appearances at the Fairfield Halls and Wigmore Hall, London, and during the Edinburgh Festival. As well as making his concerto debut at the age of 15, Calum has also given concerto performances throughout the UK with the Cardiff Bay Chamber Orchestra in Wales, and recently with the St Aldhelm’s Symphony Orchestra and the Dorset County Orchestra.
For ten years Calum held the position of Sub-Principal Cello in the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, and during his time there he also worked as a guest and often guest Principal with many major UK orchestras including the Philharmonia Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Orchestra of Opera North, Scottish Opera, BBC Concert Orchestra, the BBC Scottish Symphony, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and Welsh National Opera. He also appeared regularly as a member of Kokoro, BSO's contemporary music ensemble, delivering many world premieres and live broadcasts for BBC Radio 3.
Calum took up the position of Principal Cello with the Lyric Opera of Chicago in September 2014.