Matt Cook, composer

BRAVESHIP
Written by Matt Cook for full symphony orchestra, Braveship, is a multi-media program of all-original contemporary music in 13 movements, and several dozen fantastical illustrations projected on screen. Braveship follows the story of Azra, a young boy who discovers an airship with a rich history. In the style of Peter and the Wolf, a narrator takes the audience along on the journey with Azra. In addition to the live show, Braveship includes a supplemental novel as well as a video game. Braveship was premiered by the Orchestra of Southern Utah in 2022, and recorded and mixed by a multi-GRAMMY-winning team at Disney’s Skywalker Sound. The album includes a beautiful rendition of Cook’s classical crossover piece Fly With Me, sung by Australian soprano Mirusia, hailed as the “Angel of Australia.” For more information on Braveship and to view the sizzle reel, visit Braveship_Sizzle Reel.mp4.

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MATT COOK is a composer, economist, Los Angeles Times bestselling author, and executive film producer based in Los Angeles. He earned his bachelors and masters at Stanford University and holds a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania.

Matt is an accomplished pianist and composer for the symphony orchestra. His “lush contemporary” music has been recorded by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and by Disney’s Skywalker Sound. His most recent work, the Braveship Suite, is an immersive orchestral piece in thirteen movements, corresponding to chapters in a novel. The live show premiered in Utah in 2022. Matt’s other works include Rose beyond the Dunes and Till We Meet Again (both mini piano concertos), La Viajera Tango, to name a few. Matt placed as a finalist for The American Prize in Composition, recipients for which are among the best composers in the United States.

Matt’s books include Sleight of Mind (2020) from MIT Press, which was named among the “Top 10 Best Philosophy of Physics Books of All Time” by Book Authority; Good Little Marauder (2020), a WWII spy novel; Sabotage (2014) from Macmillan, a top ten Los Angeles Times bestselling thriller optioned for a video game adaptation; and the entrepreneurial success books The Startup Star (2010) and Fearless (2008), the latter of which was honored by the American Authors Association with the Golden Quill Award. For his support of the military as creator of the international Mile-Long Yellow Ribbon Project, Matt was honored with the President’s Call to Service Award by President George W. Bush. For more information on Matt Cook, please visit www.visitmatt.com.