An English composer, violist and teacher who served in the courts of King Henry, Queen Anne, Prince Charles, and Elizabeth and Frederick. Coprario (Cooper/Cowper) arranged a number of songs and poems by his contemporary Thomas Campion and worte in vocal genres that included songs, madrigals, and villanelles, and instrumental works which included fantasias and fantasia suites. The most important compositional pieces were his instrumental works which demonstrate a keen awareness of orchestral textures and nuances in combination with rhythmic flares and dissonance. "Rules how to Compose" was Copriari's theoretical treatise and its contents range from simplistic elements of the first stages of composition to fugal contrapunctus. ~ Keith Johnson, All Music Guide