A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Loder, Kate

by William H. Husk

LODER, Kate Fanny, only daughter of George Loder, born at Bath, Aug. 21, 1826, commenced playing the pianoforte when a mere child. In her 12th year she became a pupil of Henry Field, and a year afterwards entered the Royal Academy of Music, where she studied the pianoforte under Mrs. Anderson, and harmony and composition under Charles Lucas. At the end of the first year of her studentship she obtained a king's scholarship. Early in 1840 she appeared in public at her uncle's concerts at Bath, and in March at the Royal Academy concerts. In 1841 she was re-elected king's scholar. She quitted the Academy in 1844, in which year she played the Adagio and Rondo from Mendelssohn's G minor Concerto in presence and to the satisfaction of the composer at Mrs. Anderson's concert at Her Majesty's Theatre. She was then appointed professor of harmony at the Academy. She first appeared at the Philharmonic Society March 15, 1847, when she played Weber's Concerto in E♭, and in 1848 (May 29) her performance there of Mendelssohn's G minor Concerto received the unprecedented distinction of an encore. Her reputation was now confirmed, and her public performances frequent. In 1851 she was married to Mr. (now Sir) Henry Thompson, the eminent surgeon. On March 6, 1854, at the Philharmonic Concert, she made her last public appearance. She has composed an opera, an overture, two string quartets, two sonatas and some studies for the pianoforte, a sonata for pianoforte and violin, and several minor pianoforte pieces.

[ W. H. H. ]