Ger Copper — born Gerrit Kopper (Assendelft, 21 July 1953 – 6 August 2020) — was one of the greats of Dutch magic and became world champion of magic in 1979. Alongside his own shows he was a valued adviser and mentor to countless colleagues.
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From the family business to the stage
Gerrit Kopper was destined to succeed his father in the family wallpaper and painting business, and as a performer he replaced the K in his name with a C. When he received a magic box for his birthday as a boy, his love of the craft was born.
He took manipulation lessons from none other than Richard Ross, who prepared him for a magic congress in Eindhoven in 1969. There he became youth champion, and that same year he gained wider fame as a guest on the television programme Mies en scène by Mies Bouwman.
World champion with a candle act
Copper became Dutch champion of magic three times and was named Visiting Magician of the Year in Hollywood in 1977 and 1982. He only became a professional magician at the age of 23.
In 1979 he won the world championship of magic with a refined candle act, in which a burning candle appeared out of nothing — a routine he had honed for ten years. In doing so he followed in the footsteps of greats such as Fred Kaps, his great idol, and Richard Ross.
Master of black art
Copper specialised in black art, also known as black theatre. Using this stage principle he created various shows over the years, including the family production 'Spetter en het magische avontuur' at the Dolfinarium Harderwijk.
As early as the 1960s he began a collaboration with magic-box manufacturer Hanky Panky, for whom, as a young magician, he even appeared in a television commercial.
Mentor and legacy
As a coach, Copper was involved for years in productions by Hans Klok, Marcel Kalisvaart and Nick Nielsen, among others. But he did not want to guide only established names, and so he founded the Dutch School of Magic, where beginners were also welcome.
During a trip through South Africa in the summer of 2020, Copper contracted a legionella infection. Shortly after his discharge from hospital he died of a heart attack, and with him the Dutch magic world lost a beloved champion and mentor.
Ger Copper combined world titles with an inexhaustible urge to pass on his knowledge. You will recognise that same dedication to craftsmanship — and to the next generation — in the work of Sudesh Roman.