Floyd Cooley

Nationally and internationally known tubist Floyd O. Cooley has been heard in recital throughout the US, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Taiwan, China and Japan, appearing as soloist, clinician, giving Master Classes, and as a member of the San Francisco Symphony.

Floyd joined the San Francisco Symphony in 1969, at the time the youngest tuba player in any major orchestra in the United States.  Since then he has soloed with that orchestra on two occasions, under the baton of Seiji Ozawa and Jahja Ling, given recitals in a wide variety of places, including Carnegie Hall, commissioned works by Earl Zindars and Richard Felciano and recorded three solo albums, The Romantic Tuba on Crystal Records, A Schumann Fantasy on Summit Records, and Friends in Low Places on Albany Records. He played the 1992-1993 season with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. 

Floyd spent one year at Kansas University and received a Performer's Certificate from Indiana University in 1969.  While at Indiana he studied with William Bell, and also has studied with Mstislav Rostropovich, Jacob Krachmalnick and Mark Lifschey. He Studied with Arnold Jacobs from 1968-1998.

In 2001 after 31 years playing with the SFS he turned his career towards teaching. 

Prior to leaving the San Francisco Symphony Floyd taught at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Stanford University and DePaul University. His teaching has taken him to New Zealand, Australia, Russia, Sweden, Japan, China, Taiwan and Central Europe. Currently he is at DePaul University teaching tuba, Pedagogy and teaching people to Teach One on One.