Rudolf Simonsen

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameRudolf Hermann•Simonsen
Used nameRudolf•Simonsen
Born30 April 1889 in København (Copenhagen), Hovedstaden (DEN)
Died28 March 1947 in København (Copenhagen), Hovedstaden (DEN)
NOC Denmark
Medals OG
Gold 0
Silver 0
Bronze 1
Total 1

Biography

Danish composer and musician Rudolf Simonsen earned a bronze medal at the 1928 Olympic Games in the Art Competitions in the category Music, Compositions for Orchestra, for his work Symphony No. 2 “Hellas”. This was the only medal awarded in this category. Simonsen came from an educated middle-class Jewish family and spoke Greek, Latin and Hebrew fluently. After his musical education at the conservatory he earned a law degree in 1912. He was also a pianist who taught at the Royal Conservatory in Copenhagen since 1916, and headed this institution since 1931. He held this position until 1947. He also became known through books on music culture and philosophy.

Simonsen wrote four symphonies: Zion (1915), Hellas (1921), _Roma (1923) and Denmark (1925). For a long time there was only a tape from 1954, recording the second symphony with the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, which lasts over 20 minutes and has three parts (Oresteia, Loneliness at the Temples, Pallas Athene_). In 2009, his symphonies Zion and Hellas were released on CD, recorded in 2006 and performed Sonderjyllands Symfoniorkester under Israel Yinon.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1928 Summer Olympics Art Competitions DEN Rudolf Simonsen
Music, Compositions For Orchestra, Open (Olympic) 3 Bronze