Martin du Pré Cooper CBE (17 January 1910 – 15 March 1986) was an English musicologist and author. Copper was born in Winchester and studied at Hertford College, Oxford, before a period of study in Vienna with Egon Wellesz. Fluent in half-a-dozen languages, he taught modern languages at Stow College and Winchester College while simultaneously establishing himself as a music critic, first at the London Mercury (1935–9), then (interrupted by the war) the Daily Herald (1946–50) and The Spectator (1947–54). In 1950 he joined The Daily Telegraph as assistant to Richard Capell, succeeding him as chief music critic four years later when Capell died. He remained at the Telegraph until his retirement in 1976 and was succeeded by Peter Stadlen. He was also editor of The Musical Times between 1953 an