PETER COOPER
Born in the country near Stafford, England in 1951, Peter started violin at the age of nine and went on to study English at Balliol College, Oxford. In 1978 he became a professional fiddle player and singer, performing in Britain, Europe, and the USA. first in partnership with Appalachian dulcimer player Holly Tannen (Frosty Morning.1979), then with traditional singer Peta Webb (The Heart is True, 1986). Since the midl980s Peter has concentrated on the study and teaching of folk fiddle styles. His first solo album, All Around The World (1990), released on his own Fiddling From &ratch label, featured music from Ireland, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe & the USA. His 1993 album, The Wounded Hussar explores the rich diversity of the Irish tradition and includes many of the tunes in this book. Living in Hackney, London with his partner, Peter teaches residential courses, runs adult education classes, and gives individual tuition. He reviews for Musical Traditions and Folk Roots magazines and has composed music for films by Peter Greenaway and Moira Sweeney. As well as solo gigs, he performs as a member of Vivando, with Kathryn Locke and Geoff Coombs. Their first album, Vivando, released in 1995, includes some of his compositions.