Obituary: Kurt-Hans Goedicke, 1935-2025

This trailblazing approach drew so many admirers, but perhaps uniquely many said admirers went to LSO concerts just to see and hear Kurt, such was his artistry and flamboyance as a performer!
Having first witnessed this artistry watching the fabulous ‘Andre Previn’s Music Night’, an incredible vehicle for the irresistible chemistry between Andre and the LSO, I subsequently count myself as being immensely lucky and privileged to have first met Kurt in 1980; first played with Kurt in the LSO in 1985 and then for a further 15 fabulous years, ten of those as a very close colleague in the LSO until his retirement in 2000.

Kurt’s love and deep seated loyalty for the LSO was legendary. His many years on the Board of Directors and tenure as Vice Chairman demonstrated an energy and passion that I came to recognise were typical of Kurt’s approach to committing himself 100% to the task at hand with his customary zeal.

Perhaps a skill learned during this time was his incredible ability to deliver a speech, often with no warning, that was somehow eloquence personified! He possessed a fabulous vocabulary and a voice that carried nothing but sincerity in its tone, often leaving his listeners feeling hugely inspired. This was particularly true of his oratorical skills when teaching. I witnessed many times, notably through the vehicle of the Shell/LSO Competition, students who were left feeling enthused and passionate about their prospects, such was Kurt’s skill to inspire and to leave many notable professional music makers of the future, feeling like a million dollars.

As such, Kurt’s educational work away from the LSO was just as legendary. As Timpani Professor at Guildhall School of Music, Head of Timpani and Percussion at The Royal Academy of Music, and as Distinguished Fellow of Timpani at the RCS, all were testament to Kurt’s incredible professorial skills.

Kurt continued in his role at the RCS until he as 88. Not only an incredible achievement in and of itself, but also creating an excellent timpani and percussion department in Scotland in another superbly productive period of his career post his time in the LSO.

I personally always found Kurt to be a good listener even though and in true LSO style of the era, he could certainly be combative. However, he was also a fabulously supportive and caring colleague who was always open to reason and discussion. Crucially he was inspirational! He believed if you were doing it under the auspices of the LSO, you were already winning, but beyond that he helped you to be sometimes better than you yourself hoped to be.

Above all of his incredible achievements, accolades and accomplishments, he was for me my dear friend…and I shall miss him terribly.