Pleeth, William

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Pleeth, William

Pleeth, William , English cellist and teacher; b. London, Jan. 12, 1916; d. April 6, 1999. He studied at the London Violoncello School and with Klengel at the Leipzig Cons. In 1932 he made his debut in Leipzig, and then returned to London, where he first appeared in 1933. In subsequent years, he appeared as a soloist with various British orchs. He also was a member of the Blech (1936–41) and Allegri (1953–67) string quartets. From 1948 to 1978 he was prof. of cello at the Guildhall School of Music in London. In 1989 he received the Order of the British Empire. Pleeth’s most famous student was Jacqueline Du Pré.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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