François Couperin 1668 – 1733

Biography

François Couperin was the Baroque era’s master of the keyboard—a virtuoso organist and harpsichordist who transformed how Europe heard the harpsichord. Born into Paris’s musical elite in 1668, Couperin spent his entire career in the French capital, where he became the go-to composer for the royal court and aristocracy under Louis XIV. His genius lay in fusing French elegance with Italian fire, creating keyboard works of unprecedented sophistication and technical brilliance.

As both a performer and composer, Couperin commanded the most prestigious organ positions while churning out harpsichord pieces that became the standard-bearers of refined taste. His compositions didn’t just impress—they redefined what keyboard music could express, earning him legendary status among his peers and patrons. When Couperin died in Paris in 1733 at sixty-four, he left behind an enormous catalog of works that would influence keyboard composers for centuries.