Jacqueline du Pré

Jacqueline du Pré
Jacqueline du Pré with the Davidov Stradivarius cello and Daniel Barenboim
Born	Jacqueline Mary du Pré (1945-01-26)26 January 1945 Oxford, England, UK
Died	19 October 1987(1987-10-19) (aged 42) London, England, UK
Occupation	Cellist
Years active	1961–1973
Spouse(s)	Daniel Barenboim (1967–1987; her death)

Jacqueline Mary du Pré, OBE (26 January 1945 – 19 October 1987) was an English cellist. At a young age, she achieved enduring mainstream popularity unusual for a classical performer. Despite her short career, she is regarded as one of the most distinctive cellists of the second half of the twentieth century.

Her career was cut short by multiple sclerosis, which forced her to stop performing at the age of 27. She battled the illness for many years before her death. Posthumously, she was the subject of a film titled Hilary and Jackie that was factually controversial and criticised for sensationalising her private life.

Du Pré was born in Oxford, England, the second child of Iris Greep and Derek du Pré. Derek was born in Jersey, where his family had lived for generations. After working as an accountant at Lloyds Bank in St Helier and London, he became assistant editor and later editor of The Accountant. Iris was a talented concert pianist who taught at the Royal Academy of Music.

At the age of four du Pré is said to have heard the sound of the cello on the radio and asked her mother for "one of those". She began with lessons from her mother, who composed little pieces accompanied by illustrations, before enrolling at the London Violoncello School at age five, studying with Alison Dalrymple. For her general education, du Pré was enrolled first at Commonweal Lodge a former independent school for girls in Purley, and then at the age of eight, transferred to Croydon High School, an independent day school for girls in South Croydon. In 1956, at the age of 11, she won the Guilhermina Suggia Award, and was granted renewal of the award each year through 1961. The Suggia award paid for du Pré's tuition at the Guildhall School of Music in London, and for private lessons with the celebrated cellist William Pleeth.