* 1887 Worms - † 1915 near Tarnopol (now Ukraine)
Rudi Stephan was born in Worms, Germany. His musical talent was apparent from an early age, so that, with the support of his parents, he was able to leave school (the then "Großherzogliche Gymnasium", renamed Rudi-Stephan-Gymnasium in his honour in 1976) before his matriculation exam, to study music. Beginning his studies under Bernhard Sekles in Frankfurt am Main, he then moved to Munich where he was taught by Rudolf Louis.
Military conscription caught up with him while he was working on his opera "Die ersten Menschen" ("The First Humans"). The premiere was planned for 1915, but it was eventually first performed in Frankfurt in 1920, five years after his death. As a conscripted soldier in the First World War, Rudi Stephan died on the "Galician Front" near Tarnopol, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Rudi Stephan left only a small oeuvre (and much of his legacy was destroyed during an air raid on Worms), including a number of songs, chamber music, and orchestral pieces. Very often his works bear the simple title of 'Music for ...' followed by the instrumentation, such as "Music for Seven Stringed Instruments" (1911), or "Music for Violin and Orchestra", and "Music for Orchestra in One Movement" (both 1912).
His works were published by Schott Music.
Further information (in German): „Porträtkonzert Rudi Stephan – Wiederentdeckung eines “frühvollendeten” Komponisten“, erschienen in Musik heute am 24.2.2014