I am a classically trained pianist/accompanist, and I have begun to compose, mainly for musical theater, during the last two years.

Christopher Cooley began playing the piano at the age of seven in his hometown of Tampa, Florida, and at age 15, he appeared as soloist with the Florida Youth Orchestra playing Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree from Florida State University, a master's from the University of Texas-Austin, and a doctorate in accompanying at the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Heasook Rhee. As a soloist, Mr. Cooley has appeared with the University of Texas Symphony and the Chamber Orchestra of Florida and has been a finalist in numerous competitions, including the Josef Hofmann National Piano Competition.

Since moving to New York in 1998, he has pursued a career as an accompanist and has played at summer festivals in Italy, Austria, and France, as well as the U. S. As a winning accompanist in the Ibla Grand Prize competition in Sicily, he has been invited to play in numerous concerts in the U. S., Europe, and Japan. He was invited to play at the 2003 Piatigorsky Seminar for Cellists in Los Angeles, and he has performed with various soloists at Weill Recital Hall and Alice Tully Hall in New York. The New York Concert Review described him as an "excellent, solicitously supportive pianist" who "came through with flying colors."

I just completed my first year in the BMI Musical Theater Writers' Workshop and will begin working on a show this year with lyricist Benj Pasek. Our song, "Completely Different Place," has been recorded by Kelli O'Hara and will be featured on the new BMI CD, "No More Revivals." My classical sacred piece, "Il Canto della Rosa" for soprano, piano, chorus, and orchestra was performed in Busseto, Italy in December 2008.