Cooper Ford
Cooper Ford began learning the violin and trumpet at a young age in the school music program in his hometown of Chatham, New Jersey. During that time, he was encouraged by his teachers to explore his interest in composition, culminating in the performance of one of his string orchestra pieces, "Ballad and Inferno," during his Senior year of high school. Since then, he has continued to write for a variety of ensembles, focusing on string and full orchestra.
Cooper received his Bachelor of Music in Music Education from The College of New Jersey and Master of Music in Music Education from the University of Florida. He is currently the Orchestra Director at North Brunswick Township High School in North Brunswick, New Jersey, where he also teaches classes in Music Production.
In 2023, he was the ASTA/NJ Classroom Teacher of the Year. The following year, he received the NFHS Outstanding Music Educator Award. Outside of teaching and composing, he is active as a guest conductor and clinician. He is a member of ASTA and NAfME.