Robert Cowper (composer)

{{Short description|English composer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

Robert Cowper or Robert Cooper (c. 1465–1539/40) was an English composer. He studied music at the University of Cambridge and sang as a lay-clerk there in the Choir of King's College. He was later appointed master of the choristers of the household chapel of Lady Margaret Beaufort.{{cite journal|title=A mirror of monarchy: Music and musicians in the household chapel of the Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII|volume=16|year=1997|pages=203–234|author=Fiona Kisby|journal=Early Music History|doi=10.1017/S0261127900001728|s2cid=191989186 }}

He composed both sacred and secular music, including masses, motets and madrigals. The Gyffard partbooks contain a four part setting of Hodie composed by Cowper with John Taverner and Thomas Tallis.{{cite book|title=Thomas Tallis|author=John Harley|year=2015|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781472428066|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NRCgCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA53}}