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French Baroque composer, organist, and harpsichordist known as 'Couperin le Grand'Renowned member of the Couperin musical dynasty; organist at Saint-Gervais Church for 40+ years; appointed to Louis XIV's court; pioneered French Baroque keyboard suites with programmatic titles.

• Suffered lifelong frail health, limiting public performances despite his genius.
• Engaged in a bitter rivalry with composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier over musical styles at Versailles.
• His treatise 'L'Art de toucher le clavecin' (1716) revolutionized keyboard technique and influenced J.S. Bach.
• Pioneered the 'goûts-réunis' (united tastes) concept, controversially blending French and Italian styles.
• Died from undisclosed causes at 64, buried at Paris' Saint-Joseph Church (grave now lost).