Pablo Casals

Two years later, in 1914, he tied the nuptial knot with American socialite and singer Susan Metcalfe. However, the relationship did not last long. The two separated in 1928 but were legally divorced only in 1957.

Meanwhile, in 1955, he went into the wedlock with his long-time associate Francesca Vidal de Capdevila. However, she died the same year they got married.

Pablo Casals was born to Carles Casals I Ribes and Pilar Defill� de Casals in El Vendrell, Catalonia, Spain. His father was a parish organist and choirmaster, which explains his musical career.

From a young age, his father, a strict disciplinarian, taught him various instruments such as piano, organ and violin. By four, he had learned the basics of playing the violin, flute and piano and two years later, mastered the violin for a solo performance.

His first encounter with cello was witnessing a local Catalan musician playing a similar instrument. It was only when he was eleven that he first heard the actual sound of the instrument. Inspired by the same, he resolved to make a career playing the instrument.

In 1888, he first received formal training in cello, theory and piano at the Escola Municipal de M�sica. Two years later, he incidentally discovered a dilapidated copy of Bach's six cello suites in a sheet music store in Barcelona.

He spent the next thirteen years practicing the cello suites in order to master them. Meanwhile in 1891, he performed his first solo recital in Barcelona.

His first professional outing in music was as a soloist with the Madrid Symphony Orchestra in 1897.

His international career commenced playing at the Crystal Palace in London in 1899. The same year, he played for Queen Victoria at the Osborne House along with Ernest Walker.

In the months of November and December of 1899, he played as a soloist at the Lamoureux Concerts in Paris. His performance was highly acclaimed and widely appreciated by the critics and the audience alike.

For a year from 1900 to 1901, he toured with pianist Harold Bauer to parts of Spain and Netherlands. Following this, in 1901, he commenced his first tour to the US. In 1903, he toured South America.

His great panache at the instrument and outstanding musical abilities earned him an offer to play at the White House for President Theodore Roosevelt in January 15, 1904. The same year, in March, he debuted at Carnegie Hall in New York for Richard Strauss's Don Quixote.

He was awarded the Order of the Carlos III from the Queen in 1897.

In 1963, he became the proud recipient of the prestigious U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom. The same year, he was initiated as an honorary member of the Epsilon Iota Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia music fraternity at The Florida State University.

In 1971, he was presented with the U.N. Peace Medal in recognition of his stance for peace, justice and freedom by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, U Thant

In 1973, he was conferred with the Charles E. Lutton Man of Music Award.