School of Music

Koops was born and raised in Jos, Nigeria. He holds a D.M.A. in Music Education from the University of Southern California, with minors in theory, orchestral conducting, and horn performance. He completed his B.A. degree in Music Education from Calvin College (Grand Rapids, MI) and his M.M. degree in Wind Conducting from the University of Colorado (Boulder), where he studied with Allan McMurray. He has also studied voice and orchestral conducting with Nicholas LaurientiArtistic Director of the Denver Opera Company.

Koops has worked in California, Colorado, and New Mexico teaching band, orchestra, and choir as well conducting professionally and performing on horn and voice. While in Colorado he worked as the assistant conductor for the Denver Opera Company and led many performances, including The Magic Flute, La Boehme, The Medium, and The Threepenny Opera. In a review of The Magic Flute, Marc Shugold of the Rocky Mountain News stated, "Koops' conducting of the orchestra maintained a high artistic standard and a decent pace." Jeff Bradley of the Denver Post gave a fabulous review of the Denver Opera Companies production of The Medium emphasizing, "A fine chamber orchestra under the firm baton of Alexander Koops."

Koops joined the music faculty at Azusa Pacific University in August 2001 and is currently director of undergraduate music education, associate director of bands, and co-director of the Azusa Conservatory (a community music school). He was recently awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to Latvia for spring 2012. He frequently guest conducts the Lake Avenue Chamber Symphony as well as performing regularly on his horn. His wife, Shaelyn Theule-Koops, and their two children, Dana and Daniel, live in Azusa, California.