Barry Cooper

Barry Cooper is Professor of Music at the University of Manchester, specializing in Beethoven studies and Baroque music. His research spans medieval to 19th-century music, with a focus on editing early music and source collections.

• Education: DPhil in Music from University College, Oxford (1974)
• Academic Roles: Lecturer at St Andrews (1974) → University of Aberdeen → University of Manchester (1990–present)
• Key Achievements: Reconstructed Beethoven's unfinished Tenth Symphony (1988), edited Beethoven's 35 Piano Sonatas (2007), discovered 'Tantum ergo' hymn (2012), awarded honorary doctorate (University of Tucumán, 2017)

His research output includes 71 publications, with recent works analyzing Beethoven's sketchbooks, performance practices, and cross-cultural influences (e.g., Ukrainian connections in Opp. 105/107). The 2024 publication The Creation of Beethoven's Nine Symphonies consolidates decades of symphonic analysis.

Scientific Awards:

• Doctor honoris causa (University of Tucumán, 2017)
• Huésped de Honor (National University of Paraguay, 2017)
• Visiting Professor (National University of Paraguay, 2017)

Cooper actively supervises PhD students and collaborates with the Creative Manchester research initiative on historical musicology projects.