Classical Tenor Cooper Kendall to Perform in New Bedford

Cooper Joseph Kendall is a classically trained American tenor. He earned degrees in Boston and New York and now lives in Switzerland. He is currently enrolled in a development study year in Basel, studying with world-renowned Mezzo-Soprano Tanja Ariane Baumgartner.

From New Bedford Roots to European Opera Stages

Kendall's home is in Connecticut, but he still remembers visiting New Bedford as a child, staying with his grandparents, former State Representative Edward Coury and his wife Theresa.

Kendall is currently visiting New England family members and will perform in New Bedford on July 17. He visited Townsquare Sunday to discuss his passion for music and some upcoming projects.

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The Realities and Leaps of Faith in Classical Music

Kendall said his career did not come easy. "Until you are really in it, there is no way to know if it's for you. It's quite difficult," he said. "I worked with some really important mentors to achieve what I have so far, to have the perseverance to study or move to Europe, for instance."

"At the start, I had no idea what I was doing," he said. "It was a leap of faith or some sort of lucky strike that I made this work and really fell in love with it."

A Historic Summer Performance at the Rotch-Jones-Duff House

Kendall has performed on stages all over the world, and soon he will be performing at the Rotch-Jones-Duff House in New Bedford. He will be singing songs from his new CD Summer at Home, celebrating the 250th birthday of the United States of America, and the 200th birthday of famed songwriter Stephen Foster. The show starts at 7 p.m.

Kendall said he is driven by his love of music. "I'm not thinking about it to get rich or be a celebrity," he said. "It's really something about interpreting and performing music, and creating for an audience."

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Gallery Credit: Phil Paleologos and Tim Weisberg