It is with great excitement that TACT welcomes Allison Cook, whose exceptional talents have earned her a reputation for delivering remarkable performances in the most challenging roles of the operatic repertoire
The breadth of her musical abilities and vocal range has paved the way for a distinct professional journey that encompasses an array of characters from diverse operatic genres. Cook is the most celebrated interpreter of such roles as Salome, Duchess of Argyll in Adès's Powder her Face, Marie in Wozzeck, Judith in Bluebeard's Castle, Schoenberg's Erwartung, title role in Kaija Saariaho's Emilie.
Recent role debuts included Foreign Princess in Bastian Kraft’s Rusalka at the Staatstheater Stuttgart under Oksana Lyniv, a role which Cook reprises at the Bergen National Opera under Eivind Gullberg Jensen. Expanding her repertoire, Cook has recently debuted the roles of Venus in Tannhäuser under Patrick Hahn, and Kundry Parsifal with Orquesta de Extremadura under Pablo Heras-Casado.
After earning high critical praise for her mesmerising performance as Miss Jessel in Kasper Holten's rendition of The Turn of the Screw at the Teatro alla Scala under Christoph Eschenbach, she took on the role again with the Budapest Festival Orchestra with Iván Fischer. She is set to revisit the character once more at La Monnaie de Munt.
At the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, she appeared in several notable productions, including Wozzeck in the role of Marie, Turnage's world premiere Anna Nicole, and Krzysztof Warlikowski's innovative adaptation of Janáček's From the House of the Dead.
Among her many accomplishments, Allison has taken on the iconic role of Salome in Adina Jacobs' fresh adaptation for English National Opera. Critics have applauded her unwavering performance, with Opera Magazine calling her performance "radiant".
She captivated audiences with her portrayal of Judith in Mariusz Treliński's Bluebeard's Castle, staged at both the Teatr Wielki and the Enescu Festival.
Allison's debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker was equally noteworthy, where she starred in The Diary of One Who Disappeared.
Cook's significant accomplishments have centered on her performances in contemporary productions, with a particular success with the role of the Marquise de Merteuil in Luca Francesconi's Quartett. This performance has garnered universal praise from critics worldwide, who hail her energy and dynamic stage presence.
She realised this role on most important staged including Teatro alla Scala, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, Teatr Wielki, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Wiener Festwochen, La Cité de la Musique, and both the Holland and Strasbourg Festivals.
Duchess in Thomas Adès' Powder Her Face is another standout role, which has earned Cook stellar reviews for her powerhouse performances in New York, Québec, Warsaw, and Brussels.
Further notable appearances have included the world premiere of Casablancas' L'Enigma De Leafor at Gran Teatre del Liceu, Gerald Barry's Alice's Adventures Underground at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and London's Barbican, Saariaho's Émilie Suite with Gävle Symphony Orchestra, and Errollyn Wallen's Dido's Ghost with the Dunedin Consort at the Barbican and Edinburgh International Festival.
Allison Cook
Mezzo Soprano
