Kim Cook, Penn State professor of music in cello, has been selected for inclusion in the biographical directory Who’s Who in America, published by Marquis, the leading biographical reference publisher of the highest achievers and contributors from around the world. This announcement coincides with Accademia dell’Arte’s release of her recording of Dvorak’s Cello Concerto. The CD also features Max Bruch's Kol Nidrei and a premiere of Capriccio, a work commissioned for cello and orchestra by Czech composer Zdenek Pololanik. All works were recorded with the Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic in the Czech Republic under the direction of conductor Gerardo Edelstein, assistant professor of music at Penn State.

During her European tour as soloist with the Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic, Cook was hailed as “the superb American cellist” (Die Rheinpfalz, Frankfurt). She has also been acclaimed for her “truly glorious tone” (Musical Opinion, London), “ravishing colors and textures” (New York Concert Review, Carnegie Hall), and “keen awareness of line and style” (The Strad). Solo performances have taken her to the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, China, Israel, Jordan, Latin America and throughout the United States. She has also toured extensively as an International Artistic Ambassador for the U.S. State Department, presenting concerts and master classes throughout the world. Television and radio broadcasts of Cook’s performances have been heard in Brazil, China and the United States. Active in the commissioning of new works, she has performed more than 40 premieres. Other recordings include the Haydn Cello Concertos, solo sonatas of Kodaly, Crumb and Hindemith, and trios by Brahms and Ravel with the Castalia Trio. Highlights of this season include solo performances with the Syracuse Symphony and Festival Orchestras in Vienna and Dublin, and solo recitals at the Americas Society in New York City and at the Baltimore Museum of Art.

A graduate of Yale and the University of Illinois, Cook was principal cellist of the Sao Paulo Symphony and taught at New Mexico State before assuming her current position at Penn State. Her studio at Penn State has attracted cellists from all over the world. In 2001 she created the Gardiner/Cook Cello Endowment, a foundation providing funding for student scholarships, guest artists and new commissions for the cello.

Since 1899, Marquis’ Who’s Who has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor. Cook’s CD is currently available through the School of Music at Penn State by calling 814-863-7984