Iris Maud du Pré (

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

Greep; 3 June 1914 – 27 September 1985) was an English

pianist A pianist ( , ) is a musician who plays the piano. A pianist's repertoire may include music from a diverse variety of styles, such as traditional classical music, jazz piano, jazz, blues piano, blues, and popular music, including rock music, ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

, conductor and educator. She was the mother of cellist

Jacqueline du Pré Jacqueline may refer to: People * Jacqueline (given name), including a list of people with the name * Jacqueline Moore (born 1964), ring name "Jacqueline", American professional wrestler Arts and entertainment * ''Jacqueline'' (1923 film) ...

, flautist Hilary du Pré, and Piers du Pré.

Life and career

Iris Maud Greep was born in

Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...

, Devon, in 1914. She was the daughter of Maud (''née'' Mitchell) and William Greep, a shipbuilder. She started learning the piano at the age of seven. Having acquired a reputation as a gifted pianist, at age eighteen in 1932 she won a scholarship to the London School of Dalcroze Eurhythmics where she studied for two years before winning a scholarship to the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is one of the oldest music schools in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the firs ...

, where she studied piano and composition. Her performance career was disrupted by the events of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Du Pré then started teaching and travelling. In 1940, she married Derek du Pré (1908-1990), an assistant editor at ''The Accountant'' whom she met by chance in 1938 in Poland where he was travelling and she was attending a summer course given by the pianist

Egon Petri Egon Petri (23 March 188127 May 1962) was a Dutch-American pianist. Life and career Petri's family was Dutch. He was born a Dutch citizen in Hanover, Germany, and grew up in Dresden, where he attended the Kreuzschule. His father, a professi ...

. Du Pré's compositions were included in London performances of the ''Ballet de la jeunesse anglaise'' in autumn 1941. In 1942 their first daughter, Hilary du Pré, was born, and in 1945 they had a second daughter,

. Their son, Piers, was born in 1948. As a music teacher, she recognised her two daughters' talents and she started their musical education early with Jacqueline learning the cello from age four. Du Pré taught music in the public sector as well at places like Apsley Grammar School,

Hemel Hempstead Hemel Hempstead () is a town in the Dacorum district in Hertfordshire, England. It is located north-west of London; nearby towns and cities include Watford, St Albans and Berkhamsted. The population at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 cens ...

during the 1970s. Her daughter Jacqueline became a world-renowned musician until she was struck with

multiple sclerosis Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease resulting in damage to myelinthe insulating covers of nerve cellsin the brain and spinal cord. As a demyelinating disease, MS disrupts the nervous system's ability to Action potential, transmit ...

, which ended her life in 1987. In the 1998 Oscar-nominated film ''

Hilary and Jackie ''Hilary and Jackie'' is a 1998 British biographical film directed by Anand Tucker, starring Emily Watson and Rachel Griffiths as the British classical musician sisters Jacqueline du Pré (cello) and Hilary du Pré (flute). The film covers Jacq ...

'', Iris du Pré is portrayed by

Celia Imrie Celia Diana Savile Imrie (born 15 July 1952) is a British actress and author. She is best known for her film roles, including the '' Bridget Jones'' film series, '' Calendar Girls'' (2003), '' Nanny McPhee'' (2005), '' The Best Exotic Marigold ...

. Du Pré died of cancer on 27 September 1985 in

Ashmansworth Ashmansworth is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Basingstoke and Deane district of the English county of Hampshire. The village is about northeast of the town of Andover, Hampshire, Andover. The parish population at ...

, Hampshire at the age of 71.

Life and career

References

Further reading