Country

:

United Kingdom

Birth

:

January 26, 1945 in Oxford, England

Death

:

October 19, 1987 in London, England

Period

:

Contemporary

Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Concerto

 

Jacqueline du Pré was a renowned British cellist who was born on January 26, 1945, in Oxford, England. She was the second child of Derek du Pré, a pianist, and Iris Greep, a talented flutist. Jacqueline showed an early interest in music and began playing the cello at the age of four. Her parents recognized her talent and encouraged her to pursue a career in music. Jacqueline received her early musical education from her mother and later studied with William Pleeth, a renowned cello teacher. She made her debut at the Wigmore Hall in London at the age of sixteen and quickly gained recognition for her exceptional talent. In 1961, she won the Gold Medal at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, which marked the beginning of her professional career. Jacqueline's breakthrough performance came in 1965 when she performed Elgar's Cello Concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Sir John Barbirolli. The performance was a huge success and established her as one of the leading cellists of her generation. She went on to perform with many of the world's leading orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic, and the Vienna Philharmonic. Jacqueline's playing was characterized by its emotional intensity and technical brilliance. She had a unique ability to convey the emotional depth of the music she played, and her performances were often described as electrifying. Her interpretation of the Elgar Cello Concerto was particularly renowned, and she became known as the definitive interpreter of the piece. In addition to her solo career, Jacqueline was also a passionate chamber musician. She formed a close partnership with the pianist Daniel Barenboim, and the two performed together regularly. They also married in 1967, which further cemented their musical partnership. Together, they recorded many of the great works of the cello and piano repertoire, including the Beethoven Sonatas and the Brahms Sonatas. Jacqueline's career was tragically cut short by illness. In 1973, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a degenerative disease that affects the nervous system. Despite her illness, she continued to perform and record, but her condition gradually worsened, and she was forced to retire from performing in 1975. Jacqueline's legacy as a musician is immense. She was one of the greatest cellists of the 20th century and left behind a rich legacy of recordings. Her recordings of the Elgar Cello Concerto and the Dvořák Cello Concerto are particularly renowned and are considered to be definitive interpretations of these works. She was also a passionate advocate for music education and worked tirelessly to promote the importance of music in schools. Jacqueline received many awards and honors during her career. In 1969, she was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her services to music. She was also awarded the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977. In 1997, she was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognized her contribution to the world of classical music. Jacqueline's life and career were the subject of a number of films and documentaries. The most famous of these is Hilary and Jackie, a 1998 film that tells the story of Jacqueline's life and her relationship with her sister, the flutist Hilary du Pré.

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