Photo: Benno Rothenberg / CC BY 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Jacqueline du Pré is one of those artists I find almost painful to think about. Her Elgar concerto isn't playing so much as confessing; she seems to pour her entire body into the cello, holding nothing back. That total emotional surrender is what separates a great technician from a genuine voice, and she had it in abundance. That multiple sclerosis silenced her at the height of her powers, ending her playing career so cruelly, feels like one of music's great injustices. Forty-two years is far too short. I keep wishing that astonishing sound had been allowed to ring out longer.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Jacqueline du Pré
- Name (Japanese)
- ジャクリーヌ・デュ・プレ
- Reading
- じゃくりーぬ・でゅ・ぷれ
- Born
- January 26, 1945 – October 19, 1987
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aquarius / Rooster
- Origin
- Oxford, United Kingdom
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- cellist
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Croydon High School
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- 1976 Officer of the Order of the British Empire
- 1979 honorary doctorate
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Jacqueline du Pré born?
January 26, 1945 – October 19, 1987.
Where is Jacqueline du Pré from?
Jacqueline du Pré is from Oxford, United Kingdom.
What does Jacqueline du Pré do?
Jacqueline du Pré works as cellist.
Cellist — see all → · More people from United Kingdom →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-17
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.