Rising Stars: Meet Stephen Cook of Oracle, Tempe, Scottsdale, Mesa, Maricopa, Ak Chin Indian Community, and Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephen Cook.

Hi Stephen, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am a classical pianist and nonprofit leader. After completing my doctorate in piano performance from Arizona State University, I wanted to share my love of classical music with others. The best way to make a real impact would be to step out of the practice room and into the community. I formed a nonprofit organization in 2012 called Oracle Piano Society. This organization owns and operates the Oracle Center for the Arts, where thriving cultural outreach programs are presented. We present an annual concert series featuring world-class performers nationwide, a yearly chamber music festival, and a conservatory serving low-income students.

We also present art exhibits in our lobby and share our facility with a local community choir. Funded by a major grant from the Ak-Chin Indian Community, generous donor support, and the Arizona Commission on the Arts, our Conservatory serves low-income youth living in rural communities where access to music education is unavailable. We have launched an afterschool band program in the town of Mammoth-San Manuel led by faculty member Lorena Candelaria, a strings program for the Ak-Chin Indian Community operating under the advisement of Native American Flutist R. Carlos Nakai and instructed by cellist Dr. Gregory Hamilton. We will soon launch an afterschool general music program for the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. We also provide instrumental music lessons taught by accomplished faculty members. These students participate in our annual Chamber Music Festival, receive master classes from our world-renowned Signature Series guest artists, and may serve as apprentices to the Artistic Director, where they provide volunteer services and gain valuable insight into arts nonprofit leadership. Tuition for all of these programs is free for students, and we are steadily working to expand this program to serve as many students as possible.

One of our partners in this mission is the organization Cuba Rhythm and Views. They allow us to offer cultural excursions to Cuba to raise funds for our Conservatory. We plan to expand our connection with this organization by establishing a Cuban exchange program for our Conservatory students shortly. In its twelve years of operation, Oracle Piano Society has grown into a hugely impactful arts organization that provides world-class performances and music education to communities where such services otherwise would not exist.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Building a nonprofit from scratch has been challenging. It has required total dedication and the ability to persevere despite ever-changing obstacles. One such challenge occurred during the 2020 pandemic, which could have meant disaster for the Oracle Piano Society. I will present safe, drive-in concerts outside our arts center to continue fulfilling our mission. Concert attendees parked in our lot and tuned their radios to our pirate FM station, transmitting the audio of live performances presented outdoors by our guest artists. Using this format, we could safely show an entire season of live concerts when almost all other performing arts organizations were shuttered. While building a nonprofit arts organization in a rural community continues to present significant challenges, I take great pride in knowing that, as a direct result of our actions, we are making a tangible impact on the lives of our community members.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
As a classical pianist, I have always strived for pure expression in my performances. Many great musical works take inspiration from non-musical sources such as paintings, literature, nature, etc. I seek to highlight those connections through concert formats that emphasize artistic fusion. In this spirit, I collaborated with Radio Hall of Famer Paul Harvey, Jr. to create a one-man-show called ‘Picture Rachmaninoff,’ presented ‘Celestial Concerts’ featuring music with projected astrophotography of Adam Block, performed Halloween ‘Phantasmagoria’ and Mardi Gras masquerade concerts, and even performed wine tasting concerts, pairing locally made wines with the music of Maurice Ravel. One of my most recent projects, ‘Picturing Rachmaninoff,’ is a printed book featuring my recordings of Rachmaninoff’s piano music presented with corresponding paintings by great artists and poems translated by Dr. Alyssa Gillespie. This book is available for purchase online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I most recently premiered a set of my piano arrangements of poetry-inspired vocal duets by Johannes Brahms (Op; 75 No. 1 & 4) in a Feb. 4, 2024 concert at Oracle Center for the Arts. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAy6Yj056OlVcfG7XGLCXAmE8WJ8LnBBr

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
I have learned to be clear and unrelenting about the mission to promote the development of quality, craftsmanship, and culture. It is essential to recognize that, without steadfast conviction, classical music performance and education will die because there will always be efforts to redirect or dilute the art form to an easier-to-promote and more lucrative popular trend of the day. I take great pride in knowing that, through my efforts and the efforts of the Oracle Piano Society, I am helping to carry the torch of artistry onward.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.oraclepianosociety.org/ and https://www.stephencookpianist.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oraclepianosociety/
• Facebook: facebook.com/oraclepianosociety
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@oraclepianosociety https://www.youtube.com/@sbcpianist
• Other: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/oracle-piano-society-8615336136

Image Credits
Photos by Steve Weiss