Claire van Kampen, wife of composer and playwright Mark Rylance, dies at 71

Claire van Kampen, a composer of music for plays and television series, as well as a director, screenwriter and frequent collaborator of her Oscar-winning husband Mark Rylance, died Saturday morning at the age of 71, her family announced.

Formerly known as Lady Rylance, van Kampen died in the ancient city of Kassel, Germany, surrounded by her family, said a statement released by Mark Rylance and van Kampen’s daughter, Juliet Rylance.

The statement said van Kampen died on Mark Rylance’s 65th birthday.

Van Kampen was an accomplished musicologist and her compositions graced numerous theater productions in London and on Broadway. His first credited Broadway score was for Sam Shepard. The True West in 2000, with Philip Seymour Hoffman, John C. Reilly, Robert LuPone and Celia Weston.

Five other shows, including Boeing-Boeing, The Beast, Richard III, Twelfth night And Farinelli and the king all featured her husband.

Van Kampen wrote the play Farinelli and the king and its baroque music. It was originally produced for the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse by Shakespeare’s Globe in London, then transferred to the West End before moving to Broadway.

Filmmaker Steven Spielberg, a family friend, saw the play, about a Spanish king who could not sleep until he was soothed by the voice of a castrato, and persuaded van Kampen to write a screenplay. “Steven advised me on the script,” van Kampen said.

Van Kampen was named the first female composer of the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. She served as Tudor music arranger and historical music advisor for Hilary Mantel’s television adaptation. Wolf Hall series of novels. She always said that she was happiest when studying old scores.

At the time of his death, van Kampen and Rylance were working on several projects, including a historical television series for Spielberg at Amblin Entertainment.

Van Kampen, who was often vivacious and had a keen sense of humor, was beloved by those who came into her orbit.

Here is the statement signed by Mark and Juliet Rylance.

Claire Louise van Kampen, Lady Rylance, died this morning, Saturday January 18 at 11:47 a.m., in the ancient city of Kassel, Germany, surrounded by her family. The wife of architect Christopher van Kampen and, later, actor Sir Mark Rylance, Claire was the mother of two daughters with Christopher, Nataasha van Kampen and Juliet Rylance.

Concert pianist, composer, musical director at Shakespeare’s Globe for twenty years under the direction of Rylance then Dominic Dromgoole, playwright, theater director, she was also one of the funniest and most inspiring women we have ever known .

Claire died of cancer on Mark Rylance’s 65th birthday. Her youngest daughter having died in 2012, she is survived by her eldest daughter, Juliet Rylance, her two husbands and countless beloved friends in England and America.

We thank her for imbuing our lives with her magic, her music, her laughter and her love. Ring the bell, sound the trumpets reverie, something is being done, something is beginning. One of the great sages has died.

Mark and Juliette Rylance