BIOGRAPHY

Pianist Jane Coop and cellist Henry Shapard unite international careers in a musical partnership rooted in their shared affinity for chamber music. Bringing together one of Canada’s foremost pianists and the newly appointed London Philharmonic Orchestra’s Co-Principal Cello, their collaboration explores the expressive range, dramatic contrasts and intimate dialogue at the heart of the cello and piano repertoire. Their recording, Beethoven: Sonatas and Variations for Piano & Cello, released by Skylark Music, celebrates this artistic connection.

 

A member of the Order of Canada and the Order of British Columbia, Coop has performed in more than twenty countries, appearing at London’s Wigmore Hall, New York’s Alice Tully Hall, the Kennedy Center and major concert halls across Europe and Asia. First prizes in the CBC’s national radio competition and the Washington International Competition launched a career encompassing concerto appearances, solo recitals and chamber music. A student of Anton Kuerti and Leon Fleisher, she has maintained a particular commitment to Beethoven, including performances and recordings of the complete violin sonatas with Andrew Dawes. Her influential teaching career at the University of British Columbia and longstanding association with the Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival reflect her dedication to developing future generations of musicians.

 

Shapard joined the London Philharmonic Orchestra as Co-Principal Cello in July 2025, following five years as Principal Cello of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. His solo engagements have included appearances with the Vancouver, Yale, Prince George and Lima symphonies, the PRISMA Festival Orchestra and New York’s Parlando. Among his Vancouver highlights were performances of Strauss’s Don Quixote with Leonard Slatkin.

 

Raised in Cleveland, Shapard studied with Richard Weiss and subsequently Ole Akahoshi at Yale University, graduating with distinction in history. His educational work includes teaching at the Vancouver Academy of Music, visiting faculty appointments and masterclasses. He also organizes music workshops for incarcerated individuals in Ohio.

 

Together, Coop and Shapard bring complementary perspectives to a repertoire built on conversation, imagination and discovery. Their partnership places the rich possibilities of two instruments in dialogue at centre stage, inviting audiences into music that moves between private reflection and expansive drama with freedom of expression and emotional depth.

 

October 2026