Anthony van Kampen (1943-2026)

His career as a bassist began in the BBC Training Orchestra (now disbanded) and then moved on the BBC Symphony Orchestra around 1970. Originally his main interest was for more contemporary music, especially that composed by such mentors as Pierre Boulez and Karlheinz Stockhausen.

His interest in authentic early music performance stemmed from the fact that his bass teacher, František Pošta, also played the violone with the “Viola d’Amore Trio of Prague’’ So, by the time he left the BBC Symphony Orchestra in 1988, his girl friend at the time, although only an amateur musician, had introduced him to recordings of historical instruments, playing in the style of past periods. The new renaissance of such performances had begun, and Van Kampen quickly became one of those involved in the movement in England. For him, there was not such a difference with what he was already playing, realizing that the double bass stemmed from the gamba family of instruments, going from the baroque bass to the great bass viol (violone). Van Kampen was fortunate to have an original baroque bass made in 1695, the year of Purcell’s death, and as well as copies of other historic violones.

Van Kampen also thoroughly researched early bows and made drawings from which copies were made. At the start of his interest, he often went with his girlfriend to recitals of early music at the Wigmore Hall, but soon was in demand for all the period instrument orchestras & chamber groups. He made many recordings with Roger Norrington’s London Baroque Players & London Classical Players. He was also principal classical bass with the Hannover Band. Mixing art with music, he painted on the soundboard of a copy (with grande ravalement) of a 1640 harpsichord by Johannes Ruckers with flowers, birds, insects as well as 42 arabesques in an ‘n’ pattern all around the edge.

Van Kampen also continued playing with various modern orchestras, becoming principal bass with the City of London Sinfonia and guest principal with the London Sinfonietta. He also took part over 50 times in the St. Endellion Music Festival, both at Easter & in the Summer, both as bassist and artist.

When he left for Germany in 1991 (getting married in Bergneustadt) he played in and around Cologne and formed his own ensemble ‘’Harmonie Universalle’’ in 1992. In 2005 a severe stroke sadly put an end to his playing, but he was still able to write three books and continued with creating incredible detailed artwork and composing. Sadly, his brother Chris van Kampen, a well-known cellist, predeceased him, but he has a surviving daughter, Laura Magdalena van Kampen, born 31 December 1992 at 13.13 - a “Silvester Kind’’, of whom he was very proud.

Bernard Anthony van Kampen

Born 4 March 1943; died 9 January 2026