About this episode
Dame Imogen Cooper discusses her illustrious career as a concert pianist and her upcoming retirement from live performance.
Dame Imogen Cooper is one of Britain’s most esteemed concert pianists. Having played since the age of five, she was mentored by the great Austrian born pianist Alfred Brendel before making her name internationally with interpretations of works by Schumann, Schubert and Mozart. She is renowned as a reflective, poetic sensitive performer in the concert hall and recording studio. She was made a CBE in 2007, became the first pianist to be awarded the Queen’s Medal for Music in 2020 and, the following year, became Dame Imogen. She recently announced that, at the end of the year long international tour, she would be retiring from live performance in early 2027. Producer: Edwina Pitman Archive used: Face The Music, BBC2, 12 November 1975 Schubert, Allegretto in C minor D915 played by Imogen Cooper at the Wigmore Hall on 18 January 2026
People in this episode
Guest: Dame Imogen Cooper
Topics covered
- classical music
- piano performance
- retirement
- music awards
- mentorship
Keywords
- Imogen Cooper
- concert pianist
- classical music
- Alfred Brendel
- retirement
- Queen’s Medal for Music
- Schubert
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: BBC Radio 4, Face The Music
Books & works: Schubert, Allegretto in C minor D915
Places: Wigmore Hall
More episodes of This Cultural Life
- Liam Young · June 11, 2026 · 43 min
- Kristin Scott Thomas · June 4, 2026 · 43 min
- George Saunders · May 28, 2026 · 43 min
- Felicity Lott · May 21, 2026 · 42 min
- Michael Frayn · May 14, 2026 · 43 min
- Lubaina Himid · May 7, 2026 · 43 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the This Cultural Life podcast page.