Rudge, Olga (1895-1996)

Rudge, Olga

VIOLINIST, MUSICOLOGIST (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA)

BORN 13 Apr 1895, Youngstown, Ohio - DIED 19 Mar 1996, Merano, Trentino-Alto Adige
GRAVE LOCATION Venezia, Veneto: Cimetero di San Michele, Isola San Michele (Reparto Evangelico, Recinto XV)

Daughter of a real eastate investor, and a singer, Julia O'Connell Rudge. Julia moved to Europe for her singing career with her children when Olga was ten. Olga studied in Paris under the violist Léon Carambât. She quickly became a well known concert pianist. Her brother Arthur was killed in the First World War in 1918. In that year her international career started and she toured in Italy.

In 1920 she met Ezra Pound for the first time. At the time she worked with panist Renata Borgatti. In 1923 she lived in Paris and she met Pound met at Natalie Barney's salon in Paris. They became lovers. At this time she often worked with the American composer George Antheil.

After Pound moved to Rapallo with his wife Dorothy in 1924 she visited him there several times. In 1925 she gave birth to his daughter, Mary. Mary's existance was kept a secret and she was raised by relatives.

In 1928 her father paid for a small house in Venice. Until the Second World War Pound divided his time between his wife and Olga. During the 1930s both Pound and Rudge were important for the revival of Vivaldi's music. During the Second World War they lived in Italy. As an Americam, Pound became an enemy alien there although he supported fascism. After the war he was held in a mental institutation for thirteen years.

In 1961 Dorothy moved to London and during Pound's last years until his death in 1972 Olga nursed him and also acted as his secretary. She lived until 1996, living in the house in Venice. The last part of her life she lived with her daughter Mary although their relationship had always been difficult. She died in Merano aged 100 and was buried next to Pound in Venice.

Images
The grave of Ezra Pound and Olga Rudge at the Cimitero di San Michele, Venice. Picture by Androom (13 Feb 2016)	The grave of Olga Rudge at the Cimitero di San Michele, Venice. (scaled) Picture by Androom (13 Feb 2016)