Tributes to charismatic grande dame of music Cordula Kempe, widow of conductor Rudolf Kempe, who has died aged 81

CHARISMATIC grande dame of music Cordula Kempe was fondly remembered at her funeral service at Oakley Wood on Monday.

She died peacefully on 4th November aged 81 after a period of ill health.

A friend of the Herald for many years, Cordula settled in Stratford sometime after the death of her husband, the great conductor Rudolf Kempe in 1976.

Born in Stuttgart in 1942, Cordula and Rudi – as her husband was affectionately known – were fiercely anti-fascist.

A gifted classical violinist, she studied at the Munich Academy of Music and later became one of the first female members of the Munich Philharmonic.

In 1980 she founded the Rudolf Kempe Society to honour his spirit and to support young musicians.

Cordula’s Waterside home – The Muses, opposite the chain ferry – became the creative hub for well-known actors, musicians and talented young performers, as well as her own string quartet, the Bergonzi.

Among those paying tribute were Anthony Negus, the leading Wagner conductor, and his wife, opera director Carmen Jakobi. They said: “We have been proud to count ourselves her friends, and to have shared in so many precious musical experiences.”

Giving the eulogy at her funeral, former chair of the society, Richard Pearce, recalled: “Nobody who knew Cordula could deny that she was, as they say, a character.

“Her drive, her single-mindedness, her vision, lifted her out of the ordinary and enabled her to create the gem in Stratford that was the Rudolf Kempe Society.

“Cordula became the society’s charismatic figurehead and shaped it into the inspirational organisation we came to know and cherish.”

Speaking of Cordula’s devotion to Rudi, he said: “She spent the rest of her life working to keep his memory and his music alive. But beyond simply preserving Rudi’s achievements, was the mission to support young musicians and educate the wider public on the joys of classical music.”

Rudi’s ashes were buried in the garden of her Stratford home – which she had transformed into a beautiful house and studio having spotted the property when it was a ‘hovel’.

Recalling how it became a magical centre of excellence, Richard explained: “The magnificent studio itself could seat 50 or more – and often enjoyed a full house. The performances earned accolades from all quarters, and patron of the society was Dame Judi Dench, whose brother, Jeffery, was at one time its chairman.

“Cordula did not shrink from addressing big subjects, notably the Holocaust, with her special programme – But There is Mozart – reminding us that even in the bleakest moments, music provides salvation.

“Music, for Cordula, was an organic element of everyday life, but also something beyond ourselves – lifting the spirit and nourishing the soul.

“We have all been touched in some way by Cordula and can draw comfort from the knowledge that she has been reunited with her beloved Rudi. But be in no doubt, wherever she is – she’ll make her presence felt!

“Cordula, in celebrating your life, we have been privileged to know you.”