Rudolf Kempe was born on 4 June 1910 in Dresden-Niederpoyritz and died on 12 May 1976 in Zurich. From the age of 13 Kempe received his musical education at the Orchestra School of the Dresden Staatskapelle. He took up his first post, as an oboist, in Dortmund in 1928 and only four months later was engaged as solo oboist in the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. He made his conducting debut with an amateur Leipzig orchestra in 1934. After taking a Figaro rehearsal at short notice for general music director Paul Schmitz he was offered a contract as solo repetiteur and conductor at Leipzig Opera in addition to his orchestral position.

In 1939 he was called up for military service. Between 1945 and 1948 he conducted in Chemnitz, then was conductor and deputy to general music director Hermann Abendroth at the German National Theatre in Weimar. In 1949 Joseph Keilberth appointed him Staatskapellmeister and his deputy at Dresden State Opera. In 1950 Kempe succeeded Keilberth as general music director of Dresden State Opera and Orchestra. Although he left Dresden in summer 1953, his friendly and fruitful collaboration with the orchestra endured until the last year of his life.