As part of the 15th Anniversary of Tuba Christmas in Polk County,  Blake Cooper will be a guest soloist.

Blake, a proud native of Louisville, Kent., is the newly appointed professor of the tuba at California State University, Northridge in Los Angeles, Calif.

He also serves as a teaching artist for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel’s signature program, Youth Orchestra LA, inspired by El Sistema, the Venezuelan music education system. Blake’s teaching duties at YOLA at HOLA consist of conducting the wind ensemble, creating and managing the brass department curriculum, and teaching basic music theory and musicianship.  He is also frequently featured as a guest teacher, clinician and conductor throughout Southern California at such schools as the University of Southern California, the Harvard-Westlake School and many others.