Carlton Cooley (1898-1981) was an American violist and composer, best known as one of the leading orchestral viola players of his generation. He played in The Philadelphia Orchestra, became principal violist of the Cleveland Orchestra, and later held the same position in the NBC Symphony Orchestra.

His compositions include the Eastbourne Sketches, from which Promenade appears in the Pristine catalogue. The piece recalls a holiday in the English seaside town and reflects the lighter descriptive tradition of early twentieth-century orchestral writing.

Cooley’s musical voice, as represented there, is genial, pictorial and string-conscious, naturally shaped by a player’s knowledge of ensemble sound. It favours atmosphere and affectionate observation over grand public statement.

He remains better remembered as a performer than as a composer, but that is part of his interest. Cooley’s music comes from inside the orchestra, from someone who knew the viola desk not as a colour on paper, but as a place to sit and breathe.