By: Jasz JosephPeriod 6

Pablo Casals

December 29, 1876Pau Carles Salvador Casals i Defilló was born on

this date. He was known during his professional career as Pablo Casals. He was born in El Vendrell, Catalonia, Spain. He was the 2nd of 11 kids. His father, Carlos Casals i Ribes, was a parish organist and choirmaster. He taught Casals how to play the piano, violin, and organ. Additionally, he taught Casals how to sing. He was a very strict father.

Wikipedia.org

Carlos Casals i RibesPablo Casals father

1882

At age 6, he played the violin well enough to perform a solo in public. His first encounter with a cello-like instrument was from watching a local travelling musician, who played a cello-strung broom handle. Casals asked his father to build him a cello, so his father did using a gourd as a sound-box.

Wikipedia.org

A gourd similar to the one Casals’s father

used to make him his cello.

1888

Although his father wanted him to be a carpenter, his mother, Pilar Defilló de Casals, took him to Barcelona, where he enrolled in the Escola Municipal de Música. There he studied cello and music theory. He also studied piano there.

Notablebiographies.com & Wikipedia.org

Pilar Defilló de Casals

Pablo Casals mother

1890

At the age of 13, he went to a second-hand music store in Barcelona. Here he found a tattered copy of Bach's six cello suites. He spent the next 13 years practicing them every day. He made great progress as a cellist during these years.

Wikipedia.org

Suite I of Bach's Six Cello Suites

1894

Although he was only 18, Casals traveled to Madrid, Spain, and gave concerts for the queen and her court. Over the next few years his reputation spread. After that, he played with various orchestras in Madrid.

Noteablebiographies.com

Queen of Spain, Victoria “Ena” Eugenie

1914Casals's first wife was named Susan Metcalfe. They

were married in New Rochelle, NY. Casals told people that he admired his wife as a person, and also as a musician, and she brought great happiness to his life during their first years together. Pablo and Susan Casals gave concerts together in America, Europe, England, Mexico and Cuba. Casals found it fun to accompany his wife on the piano.

www.cello.org/casals/page12

Susan CasalsPablo Casals’s first

wife

November 13,1961

Pablo Casals traveled to the White House to play for John F. Kennedy. He had greatly admired Kennedy. It was an honor to play for him at his home.

Wikipedia.org

President John F. Kennedy

Casals playing at The White House

December 6, 1963 Pablo Casals was awarded the Presidential

Medal of Freedom. John F. Kennedy awarded him this award. There were 30 people all together who were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on December 6th, 1963.

www.jfklibrary.org/Historical+Resources/Archives/Reference+Desk/Presidential+Medal+of+Freedom

Presidential Medal of Freedom

1973

Casals died in San Juan, Puerto Rico when he was 96. He was buried at the Puerto Rico National Cemetery. Many of his fans were extremely upset when he died.

Notablebiographies.com

Pablo Casals before his death

1989Casals was awarded a Grammy Lifetime

Achievement Award. The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is awarded by the Recording Academy to "performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording." This award is distinct from the Grammy Hall of Fame Award and the Grammy Trustees Award.

Wikipedia.org

Pablo Casals