About Max
Max Alexander Cook has been complimented by critics for his “vocal power,” “virtuosic coloratura,” and secure upper register. Most recently, Cook performed as Don Narciso in Teatro Nuovo’s Il turco in Italia, and Frederic in MacBeth Concert Series’s The Pirates of Penzance. In the 2026-2027 Season, he will join Pensacola Opera as a Jan Miller Studio Artist. There he will cover the role of Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore, and he will sing the roles of Spoletta in Tosca and Jumper/Doctor 2 in The Falling and the Rising.
Cook graduated from the University of Maryland Opera Studio in May, 2026, with a Master of Music. At MOS, he was featured as Belfiore in La finta giardiniera and both Fabian and David in Heggie’s If I Were You.
In 2025, Cook won the North Carolina District of the 2025 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, qualified for the Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition, and won the Maryland District of the 2026 Laffont Competition. In January, 2026, Cook and his colleagues from the Maryland Opera Studio won first place in the Robert Hansen Collegiate Opera Scenes Competition for their performance from Florencia en el Amazonas, in which Cook sang the role of Arcadio.
Cook has sung with opera companies like Cedar Rapids Opera where he performed as Dr. Blind in Die Fledermaus, Virginia Opera, where he sang in the workshop chorus of Loving v. Virginia (Geter), Annapolis Opera where he performed as Giuseppe in La traviata, and Capitol Opera Richmond, where he performed as Nerone in L’incoronazione di Poppea. In 2024 and 2025, he was an Ader Emerging Artist with Charlottesville Opera where he covered the role of Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance and performed the role of Jacey Squires in The Music Man. He was also featured as Ferrando in Così fan tutte with Winter Harbor Music Festival, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni with Aquilon Music Festival.
Cook has appeared as both a soloist and ensemble member with the National Presbyterian Church Festival Choir, Greater Philadelphia Choral Society, Mercersburg Area Community Chorus, University of Maryland Chorale and Chamber Singers, Virginia Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Oratorio Society of Virginia, Virginia Consort, University of Virginia’s University Singers, and Central Virginia Masterworks Chorale, singing classic canon and contemporary works.
Cook graduated from Oberlin College and Conservatory in 2021, where he earned both a Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Arts, and was awarded the Margot Bos Stambler Professional Development Award. During his time at Oberlin, Cook performed with the Oberlin Opera Theater, singing roles like Flute in Midsummer Night’s Dream, and L’amante in Amelia al ballo, and was a frequent soloist with the Oberlin College Choir.