Daniel Barenboim First Wife: Who is Jacqueline du Pré?

Jacqueline du Pré was the first wife of Argentine-born classical pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim.

The former couple met in London on Christmas Eve 1966. She converted to Judaism and they married at the Western Wall on 15 June 1967.

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Barenboim and du Pré were considered as a “golden couple” in the music industry, with their extensive performing and recording collaborations acknowledged as some of the best of their time.

The couple was married till du Pré died in 1987. However, in the early 1980s, Barenboim began a relationship with Russian pianist Elena Bashkirova.

They had two kids together, both born in Paris before du Pré’s death. Barenboim fought hard to keep his relationship with Bashkirova hidden from du Pré, and thought he had succeeded.

Jacqueline Mary du Pré OBE was a cellist from the United Kingdom. She earned long-term public success at a young age.

Despite her brief career, she is widely considered to be one of the best cellists of all time. Her career was cut short due to multiple sclerosis, which forced her to retire at the age of 28.

Jacqueline du Pré died 14 years later at the age of 42 on 19 October 1987.