Lindsay Cooper was born in Hornsey, North London, England, on March 3rd 1951. She took piano lessons from the age of 11, but switched to bassoon a few years later. Between 1965 and 1968, she studied classical music and bassoon at the Dartington College of Arts and the Royal College of Music. She played in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, and became a member of the Royal Academy of Music in London.
Towards the end of the 1960s, she lived in New York City, USA, for a year, during which time she became involved in music projects outside classical music. When Cooper returned to the UK in 1971, she left classical music and became a part of the "Canterbury scene". She joined the progressive rock band 'Comus', and, although she only remained with that band for a year, it changed her whole approach to music.
She added oboe and flute to her instrumental repertoire, and started doing session work for other musicians, including Mike Oldfield on his album "Hergest Ridge" in 1974. Best known for her work with the band 'Henry Cow' (from 1973 to 1978), she was also a member of 'National Health', 'News from Babel' and 'David Thomas and the Pedestrians'. She collaborated with a number of other musicians, including Chris Cutler and Sally Potter, and co-founded the 'Feminist Improvising Group'.
She wrote scores for film and TV, and the song cycle "Oh Moscow", which was performed live around the world in 1987. She also recorded a number of solo albums, including "Rags" (1980), "The Gold Diggers" (1983) and "Music For Other Occasions" (1986). Cooper was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the late 1970s, but did not disclose it to the musical community until the late 1990s, when her illness prevented her from performing live.
5 Comments (since 26 Sep 2013)
rest_in_peace
Lindsay Cooper was born in Hornsey, North London, England, on March 3rd 1951. She took piano lessons from the age of 11, but switched to bassoon a few years later. Between 1965 and 1968, she studied classical music and bassoon at the Dartington College of Arts and the Royal College of Music. She played in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, and became a member of the Royal Academy of Music in London.
rest_in_peace
Towards the end of the 1960s, she lived in New York City, USA, for a year, during which time she became involved in music projects outside classical music. When Cooper returned to the UK in 1971, she left classical music and became a part of the "Canterbury scene". She joined the progressive rock band 'Comus', and, although she only remained with that band for a year, it changed her whole approach to music.
rest_in_peace
She added oboe and flute to her instrumental repertoire, and started doing session work for other musicians, including Mike Oldfield on his album "Hergest Ridge" in 1974. Best known for her work with the band 'Henry Cow' (from 1973 to 1978), she was also a member of 'National Health', 'News from Babel' and 'David Thomas and the Pedestrians'. She collaborated with a number of other musicians, including Chris Cutler and Sally Potter, and co-founded the 'Feminist Improvising Group'.
rest_in_peace
She wrote scores for film and TV, and the song cycle "Oh Moscow", which was performed live around the world in 1987. She also recorded a number of solo albums, including "Rags" (1980), "The Gold Diggers" (1983) and "Music For Other Occasions" (1986). Cooper was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the late 1970s, but did not disclose it to the musical community until the late 1990s, when her illness prevented her from performing live.
rest_in_peace
She retired from music in 1998. Lindsay Cooper died in London on September 18th 2013, from pneumonia caused by her illness, at the age of 62. http://soundsfromthespring.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/lindsay-cooper-rip-1951.html