Critics say that Edward Elgar's Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in E minor was the work which she would always interpret in a "defining" and "legendary" manner. We speak of a musician whose career would be abruptly brought to an end by a ruthless ailment - Jacqueline du Pré - the Performer of the Day on Radio Romania Music.

Born in Oxford on the 26^th January, 1945, Jacqueline Mary du Pré was the second child of the couple Derek and Iris du Pré. Her devotion to music was instilled by her mother, a pianist and professor at the London Royal Academy of Music. It is told that at the tender age of four, Jacqueline heard the sound of a cello on Radio and asked her mother at once for 'one of those'. Thus began her story in the artistic world of sound. When five years old, she was admitted to study at the London School. During the years 1955-1966 she had the opportunity of coming across prominent pedagogues of this instrument, such as, Alison Dalrymple, William Pleeth, Pablo Casals, Paul Tortelier şi Mstislav Rostropovich. As a matter of fact, the legendary Rostropovich, who was impressed with her talent, claimed that she was 'the only cellist of the young generation who could someday become as good as him'.

The first official appearance took place in March 1961, in a concert held at the Wigmore Hall in London. One year later, she would sing Elgar's Concerto for Cello together with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Rudolf Schwarz, at the Royal Festival Hall, and in 1963, at the BBC Proms, she performed the same opus, under the baton of Sir Malcolm Sargent. Her version proved to be so convincing that she became the favourite guest of Proms, where she performed yearly up to 1969.

Jacqueline du Pré was friends with the great musicians of her time, such as Yehudi Menuhin, Itzhak Perlman, Zubin Mehta şi Pinchas Zukerman … artists with which she often carried out memorable evenings dedicated to chamber music. One of her recitals was a muse for the movie The Trout, signed by Christopher Nupen. It is the 1969 one, held at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, with the The Trout Quintet by Franz Schubert. It is the same Christopher Nupen who brought forth the documentary film Jacqueline du Pré and Elgar's Concerto for Cello.

Over a short but brilliant career, du Pré has received various distinctions, such as the prestigious Guilhermina Suggia award (when 11 years old), The London Guildhall School of Music Gold Medal and the Queen's Award for the British musicians, and in 1977, at the BRIT Awards, she won the best classic solo album award, again for Elgar's Concerto for Cello.

Therefore, on Radio Romania Music, on Monday, 26^th January, 2015, starting 10:00, we shall acknowledge the 70 years that have passed since the birth of this great artist, Jacqueline du Pré, through the Performer of the Day section of the Arpeggio programme, produced by Irina Cristina Vasilescu.