Albert Cooper Shop

Albert Cooper was an English flute maker who apprenticed at Rudall Carte until the war. After discharge, he returned to Rudall Carte but left in 1959 and set himself up as a flute maker.

Cooper is credited with revolutionising the flute in the second half of the 20th century, and is arguably the most important flute maker since Theobald Boehm. His primary contribution was the Cooper Scale, where the position and size of the flute's tone holes were accurately determined to improve the tuning and harmonic positioning of the flute. The Cooper scale was subsequently almost universally adopted by flute makers, and forms the basis of other modern 'scales' including the Wibb scale.

Cooper's other area of innovation was in headjoint design. His alterations to the embouchure size and cut are widely acknowledged for improving the dynamic range, colour palette and responsiveness of the flute.

Cooper made just 80 C flutes, 8 alto flutes, 2 piccolos (both with C foot), 3 bass flutes and 1 flute in B flat; his instruments are still highly sought by players.