introduction 

Welcome to my site. My name is Dorian Cooke. I have been principal bassoonist of the Residentie Orkest since 2000 and was a member of the Netherlands Wind Ensemble from 1998 to 2025. During my musical career, I took many Alexander Technique lessons myself because I suffered from back problems. My ever-deepening interest in the Alexander Technique led me to take the three-year teacher training course at ATCA (Alexander Technique Centre Amsterdam), which I completed in March 2026. I now have my own teaching practice in Voorburg.

my curriculum

Dorian Cooke, born in 1975 in The Hague, studied bassoon at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague with Johan Steinmann. She continued her studies in Berlin at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler with Prof. Klaus Thunemann and Frank Forst. In addition, Dorian attended many masterclasses with Brian Pollard in Amstelveen. From 1997 to 1998 she was principal bassoonist of the Orchestra of the East; subsequently, she held the same position in the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. Si nce 2000, she has been principal bassoonist of the Residentie Orchestra in The Hague. In addition, Dorian substituted in several orchestras, including the Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. In addition to performing in the orchestra, her passion also lies in chamber music. From 1998 to 2025, she was a member of the Netherlands Wind Ensemble, with which she performed frequently at home and abroad and recorded many CDs. She also played with the conte mporary ensemble Nieuw Amsterdams Peil. Since 2016, she has been an annual participant in the Orlando Festival, where she performed both in chamber music ensembles and as a soloist, and was part of Gruppo Montebello conducted by Henk Guittart. A number of composers, including Frigyes Hidas, Theodor Burkali, Stephen Melillo, Vincente Moncho, and Harrie Janssen, wrote compositions for her. Recordings of these have been released on CD. Throughout her career, Dorian has been interested in the application of the Alexander Technique and took many classes with Francien Schoonens. In 2023, she decided to pursue the three-year training to become an Alexander Technique teac her at ATCA (Alexander Technique Centre Amsterdam) under the guidance of Paul Versteeg and Tessa Marwick. She completed the training in 2026 and combines her work with the Residentie Orkest with an Alexander Technique teaching practice.

my story 

foto: Peter Lodder

When I was in my early twenties and started my professional music career in a symphony orchestra, I experienced a lot of pressure alongside my love for music. I was passionate and motivated to go to the extreme to interpret the music as beautifully as possible. Performing on stage was also accompanied by performance pressure and tension. Everything was new to me, and I had little experience to fall back on. The way I handled this pressure led to a lot of unnecessary muscle tensions and eventually to severe back problems. This forced me to pause for a moment and think about how to proceed. I absolutely did not want surgery for my hernia, so I continued searching for relief and tried various therapies. Unfortunately without lasting success, because no matter what I tried, it didn't seem to get to the root of the problem. The real cause (and the solution) of my complaints lay deeper, namely in the fundamental way I used my body in all my daily activities. This was precisely what was addressed in the Alexander Technique lessons I decided to take. I learned how to prevent mental stress and anxiety from becoming locked in my body, how to move in a much more natural way, and how to regain more control over my own functioning. After the lessons, I often experienced a lightness that reminded me of my childhood, when everything still seemed to happen effortlessly. By rediscovering a more natural coordination, not only did my back pain disappear over time, but my breathing also became freer. I felt so much better and happier, both on stage and in daily life.

"change involves carrying out an activity against the habit of life."

F.M. Alexander