Tributes to Shakespeare’s music director

The death has been announced in Kassel, Germany, of Claire van Kampen, playwright, director and composer, who served as an expert on Tudor Music in the BBC’s Wolf Hall series, starring her husband Sir Mark Rylance.

Claire, who died of cancer, was 71.

Her interest in early music was sparked by meeting the recorder player and ensemble leader David Munrow,

Graduating from the Royal College of Music, she joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1986, moving on to the National Theatre and the Globe, where she composed music for 30 productions. She also composed for Broadway and New York ballet.

Her play Farinelli and the King, about a castrato and his employer, won six Olivier nominations.

UPDATE: A message from her music agency:

Natasha Worsley, Associate Director, Vocal & Opera, said: “Claire was a supremely talented woman, and I was so proud to know and work alongside her, both with Intermusica and previously at Askonas Holt. The depth of her musical insight and the breadth of her artistic vision were truly remarkable. On meeting Claire, I was inspired by her creativity, her joy and her passion for all forms of music, and we spent many enjoyable hours planning future projects together. Claire’s infectious enthusiasm and good humour made her a joy to know and work with.”

Claire van Kampen was the first woman to occupy the positions of musical director of the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre. From 1997, she was the Director of Theatre Music at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, serving as Artistic Associate to Mark Rylance from 1996-2006, and as musical consultant and resident composer to the subsequent Artistic Director Dominic Dromgoole from 2007-2015 – composing period and contemporary music for over 30 productions. Her most recent positions were as the Globe Associate and Senior Research Fellow for early Modern Music and Creative Associate of the Old Vic Theatre, London. In 2018, Claire made her debut as Director at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre with Othello, starring André Holland in the title role. Her own authored play Farinelli and the King (2017/18) was nominated for six Olivier and five Tony Awards, including Best Play. On screen, she was the musical advisor and arranger for the BBC’s Wolf Hall series.

Our thoughts are with Claire’s husband Mark and daughter Juliet at this incredibly sad time.