DU PRÉ, JACQUELINE

DU PRÉ, JACQUELINE (1945–1987), British cellist. Du Pre was born in Oxford and began studying the cello at the age of six. In 1968, she graduated from the Guildhall School of Music, London, with a gold medal, then studied with Tortelier (in Paris), with Casals, and with Rostropovich (in Moscow). After her London debut at the Wigmore Hall (March 1961), she steadily acquired an international reputation as one of the most naturally gifted musicians England has ever produced. In 1967, she met daniel barenboim , the Israeli pianist, and they were married in June of that year after her conversion to Judaism (she was previously an Anglican). She and her husband made many tours together and performed frequently all over Israel, playing chamber music with itzchak perlman and pinchas zuckerman and appearing in concerts with conductor zubin mehta . In 1973, however, her career tragically ended when she was stricken by multiple sclerosis. (Max Loppert (2nd ed.)