William Pleeth OBE was a well-known British cellist and an eminent teacher, who became widely known as the teacher of Jacqueline du Pre.
18 Facts About William Pleeth
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William Pleeth started to learn the cello at six and his talent was quickly noticed.
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At thirteen Pleeth won a two-year scholarship to study with Julius Klengel at the Conservatory in Leipzig.
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William Pleeth was the youngest person ever to receive this scholarship at the time.
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William Pleeth was a wonderful teacher because he allowed you to be yourself.
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William Pleeth was always honest and I loved him for it.
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In 1940, William Pleeth performed the Schumann Cello Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Adrian Boult.
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William Pleeth wrote his "Soliloqui" for cello and orchestra for Pleeth.
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In 1952 William Pleeth formed the original Allegri String Quartet with violinists Eli Goren and James Barton and violist Patrick Ireland.
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William Pleeth was a professor of cello at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London from 1948 to 1978.
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William Pleeth was much loved by his students, the most famous of them being Jacqueline du Pre, who named him her "cello daddy".
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William Pleeth stopped performing in the early 1980s, but continued teaching until his death.
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William Pleeth's masterclasses were so appreciated that he had hundreds of students from all the continents.
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In 1989, William Pleeth was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his outstanding achievements.
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The Brindisi String Quartet, Trevor Pinnock and Anthony William Pleeth performed Haydn, Mozart and Schubert.
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William Pleeth lived with Margaret Good in Finchley, North London.
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William Pleeth died on 6 April 1999, aged 83, having fought leukemia for four years.
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William Pleeth was survived by his wife, his son and daughter and three grandchildren.