François
Couperin

François Couperin (1668-1733) was a French Baroque composer, organist and harpsichordist. He was known as Couperin le Grand ("Couperin the Great") to distinguish him from other members of the musically talented Couperin family. Couperin was born in Paris, into a prominent musical family; his father Charles was organist at the Church of Saint-Gervais in the city, a position previously held by Charles's brother Louis Couperin, the esteemed keyboard virtuoso and composer whose career was cut short by an early death. In 1717 Couperin became "ordinaire de la musique de la chambre du roi pour le clavecin", one of the highest possible appointments for a court musician, and a position once heldby Jean-Henri d'Anglebert. However, his involvement in the musical activities at the court may have lessened after Louis XIV's death in 1715.