Martha Argerich was born and raised in Buenos Aires. She had a strong passion for music from a young age, playing the piano by ear at the age of three; two years later, the Italian pianist Vincenzo Scaramuzza became her teacher. At 8, she had her debut concert, playing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor and Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major. In 1955, at 14, she moved with her family to Europe, traveling from London to Vienna to Switzerland and studying with renowned pianists such as Friedrich Gulda, Maria Curcio, Bruno Seidlhofer, and Madeleine Lipatti. At 16, she won the Geneva International Music Competition and the Ferruccio Busoni International Competition with only three weeks separating between the two competitions. Following her success, she traveled to NYC, hoping to study with her idol, Vladimir Horowitz, but the plan failed. Discouraged, Argerich gave up the piano and considered becoming a secretary or doctor. However, after three years, she returned to playing and soon made her first recording, playing pieces by Brahms, Chopin, Liszt, and Prokofiev. In 1965, at 24, Argerich won the VII International Chopin Piano Competition and made her US debut in the Great Performers series at the Lincoln Center in NYC. Argerich is best known for her collaborative chamber music, with a repertoire that includes Bach, Bartok, Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy, Liszt, Ravel, and Tchaikovsky. Argerich established several music festivals and competitions, including the International Piano Competition and Festival Martha Argerich in Buenos Aires, the Progetto Martha Argerich in Lugano, and the Beppu Festival in Japan, where she has served as the Artistic Director. Her exceptional technique, energy, and emotional depth earned her a name of a brilliant pianist. Her hundreds of recordings granted her various of the most prestigious awards in the music industry, including the Grammy, the Gramophone, and the BBC Music Magazine Award, recognizing her as one of the greatest pianists the world had ever had. Read more...

Jacqueline du Pré was born in Oxford, England. When she was four, she heard the cello for the first time and fell in love with it. She received her first musical training from her mother, who was a pianist and music teacher, and at five, she enrolled in the London Violoncello School. Soon, she and her sister, the flutist Hilary du Pré, began to participate and win in local music competitions. In 1956, 11 years old du Pré won the Guilhermina Suggia Award, which she won later for five consecutive years. The award allowed her to study at the Guildhall School of Music in London and take additional private lessons with the cellist William Pleeth. Since she was 14, she traveled across Europe to further her education, studying with cellists Pablo Casals in Switzerland, Mstislav Rostropovich in Russia, and Paul Tortelier in Paris. She began to perform at various concerts and made her first TV appearance for the BBC playing the Lalo Cello Concerto. In 1961, at 16, she made her formal cellist début at Wigmore Hall in London, followed by performances in prestigious venues, including the Royal Festival Hall and the Edinburgh Festival. In 1965, du Pré recorded Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85, with the London Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Sir John Barbirolli. Her performance got described as one of “the greatest recordings of the century,” which brought her international recognition and made her one of the most beloved cellists in the world. Following her successes, she was invited to perform with the most famous orchestras in the world, including the London Philharmonic, BBC Symphony Orchestra, New Philharmonia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Israel Philharmonic. In 1967, at 22, she married Israeli pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim, and the two became known in the music industry as the “golden couple.” In 1971, du Pré began to lose sensitivity in her fingers, accompanied by fatigue and depression. What would later turn out to be multiple sclerosis, at the time, was considered by doctors as psychological stress, and she took a sabbatical. She returned to perform after two years, but her condition was declining. Du Pré managed to perform live several more times before she had to retire. She continued to teach music as long as her health permitted it. She died at the age of 42. Read more...