Koopman had a "classical education" and then studied the organ, harpsichord, and musicology in Amsterdam. He specialized in Baroque music and received the Prix d'Excellence for both organ and harpsichord. Koopman founded the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra in 1979 and the Amsterdam Baroque Choir in 1992, now combined as the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir. Koopman concentrates on Baroque music, especially that of Bach and is a leading figure in the "authentic performance" movement. While a number of early-music conductors have ventured into newer music, Koopman has not. He has said, "I draw the line at Mozart's death". One exception is his recording of the Concert Champêtre of Francis Poulenc, written in 1928.
In addition to the works of Bach, Koopman has long been an advocate of the music of Bach's predecessor Dieterich Buxtehude. He had previously recorded the keyboard works for Philips Classics and several cantatas for Erato. He was elected president of the "International Dieterich Buxtehude Society" in 2004. Following the completion of the Bach cantatas project Koopman then embarked on a recording of the complete works of Buxtehude. In 2005 he commenced Dieterich Buxtehude – Opera Omnia, a project to record the complete works of Dieterich Buxtehude, which he finished in October 2014.
Other projects
Besides his work with the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir, he is in frequent demand as guest conductor and as harpsichordist and organist. In 2011, Koopman began a three-year stint as artist-in-residence with the Cleveland Orchestra. His aim is always to achieve authenticity in performance, using exact copies of historical instruments from the time of the composer, and adopting the performing style of the composers or their contemporaries. The scholar John Butt has criticised Koopman's interpretation of Bach's Goldberg variations for its overuse of ornamentation, which he attributes to a desire to differentiate his interpretation from those of Gustav Leonhardt.
Personal life
Koopman is married to Tini Mathot, who is also a harpsichordist and fortepianist, and the two frequently perform together. Mathot is also his chief recording producer, as well as a teacher at the Royal Conservatory. On 11 October 2012 the documentary Live to be a hundred - a year in the life of Ton Koopman was released in Dutch cinemas.
Discography
Koopman's extensive discography includes the complete Bach cantatas and organ works, St Matthew Passion and St John Passion, Mass in B minor, Christmas Oratorio, a recording of his own reconstruction of the lost St Mark Passion, concertos and harpsichord works by Bach, Sweelinck's complete keyboard works, the complete works of Buxtehude, Mozart's Coronation Mass and Vespers, Requiem, a cycle of Mozart symphonies. In 1992, he conducts Barbara Schlick and The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra for Erato with les Motets for double Chorus H 403, H 404, H 135, H 136, H 137, H 392, H 410, H 167 by Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, Handel's Messiah and Organ Concertos, et al. Koopman has received many prizes for his recordings.
