Desmond Dupre

Desmond Dupré was a pioneer in the performance of lute and viola da gamba during the twentieth century early music revival. After studying chemistry at Oxford, he began his musical training at the Royal College of Music in 1946, where he studied cello with Ivor James and harmony with Herbert Howells. The following year, he taught himself the viol and started to perform professionally as a guitarist and also as a cellist with the Boyd Neel Orchestra. In 1950, he made his first of many recordings with Alfred Deller, accompanying him on the guitar. After teaching himself the lute...