Shannon Cook, who joined the CPO in January 2023, started playing violin at the age of 11 and throughout her high school years excelled in local eisteddfods as well as the UNISA practical examinations. She appeared on the UNISA Roll of Honour several times for her violin, piano, and musical theory examination results. In 2014 she received distinction for her Grade 8 UNISA violin examination and appeared as a soloist with the Pretoria based youth orchestra Simfonia Juventi. Throughout high school Shannon attended various youth orchestra and chamber music courses/camps including Simfonia Juventi, SANYO, and the SICMF – musical experiences which contributed greatly to her love of orchestral and chamber playing at a young age.
In 2015 Shannon began her studies under Farida Bacharova at the South African College of Music and in 2018 graduated with BMus in Performance cum laude. Shannon received Dean’s Merit List for all four years of her undergraduate degree as well as the Alfred Libochowitz Strings Prize, the Myra Chapman Undergraduate Scholarship, the Humanities Faculty Scholarship, the Stephanie Garnett Memorial Prize, and the Percy Ould Memorial Prize. In 2018 she received 2nd Prize in the Schock Foundation Chamber Music Competition, and she went on to win 1st Prize the following year. Throughout her studies Shannon participated in masterclasses with various internationally acclaimed violinists such as Daniel Rowland, Evgeny Bushkov, Frank Stadler, Jan Orawiec, Joanna Frankel, Jan Rekpo, Max Baille, and Alexander Gilman. In 2019 Shannon entered her Masters in Violin Performance under Prof Farida Bacharova and in 2022 graduated cum laude once more.
During her studies at the UCT South African College of Music, Shannon developed a strong love for orchestral playing. She consistently played in the 1st violin section of both the UCT Symphony Orchestra and the UCT String Ensemble throughout her studies and in 2019 and 2021 she performed as concert master of the UCT Symphony Orchestra. From 2017 to 2022 Shannon was also a manager for the UCT Symphony Orchestra which gave her a passion for arts admin and management. During 2022 Shannon taught violin at the Bishops Diocesan College and the Bishops Prep School where she developed a passion for teaching and coaching. She also competed as a semi-finalist in the UCT Strings Competition 2022 shortly before auditioning for a permanent position with the CPO.
