Role

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Conductor Performer

Genre

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Concerto

 

Paul van Kempen was a Dutch conductor and violinist who was born on 16 October 1893 in the city of Zoeterwoude, Netherlands. He was the son of a music teacher and began his musical education at a young age. He started playing the violin when he was just six years old and later studied at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. Van Kempen began his career as a violinist, playing in various orchestras in the Netherlands and Germany. He was a member of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra from 1919 to 1922, where he played under the direction of conductors such as Arthur Nikisch and Wilhelm Furtwängler. During this time, he also began conducting and made his debut as a conductor in 1922 with the Berlin State Opera. In 1925, van Kempen was appointed as the conductor of the Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra, where he remained until 1929. He then became the conductor of the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra, a position he held until 1934. During his time in Dresden, he also conducted the Berlin State Opera and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1934, van Kempen returned to the Netherlands and became the conductor of the Hague Philharmonic Orchestra. He also conducted the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. He was known for his interpretations of the works of Dutch composers such as Willem Pijper and Hendrik Andriessen. During World War II, van Kempen was forced to resign from his position as conductor of the Hague Philharmonic Orchestra due to his refusal to perform for the Nazi occupiers. He went into hiding and continued to conduct underground concerts for the resistance movement. After the war, van Kempen resumed his career as a conductor and was appointed as the principal conductor of the Berlin State Opera in 1947. He also conducted the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. He was known for his interpretations of the works of Beethoven, Brahms, and Bruckner. In 1950, van Kempen was appointed as the principal conductor of the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam, a position he held until 1955. During his time with the orchestra, he made several recordings, including a highly acclaimed recording of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. Van Kempen was also a respected teacher and taught conducting at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin. His students included conductors such as Herbert von Karajan and Lorin Maazel. Van Kempen's career was cut short when he died suddenly on 15 July 1955, at the age of 61. He was in Lucerne, Switzerland, conducting the Swiss Festival Orchestra when he suffered a heart attack. He was buried in the cemetery of the village of Wannsee, near Berlin. Van Kempen was known for his precise and disciplined conducting style, as well as his ability to bring out the emotional depth of the music he conducted. He was highly respected by his colleagues and was considered one of the leading conductors of his time. His recordings continue to be admired and studied by musicians and music lovers around the world.

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