The Jacqueline du Pré Music Building was the first purpose-built concert hall to be built in Oxford since the Holywell Music Room in the time of Handel. Its inspiration was the wish to create a living memorial to a great artist. A joint fundraising campaign by St Hilda’s College, of which Jacqueline du Pré was an Honorary Fellow, and the Musicians’ Benevolent Fund raised over £1 million with the support of a wide range of institutions and Trusts, and very many private individuals. The Building was opened in September 1995 with a gala concert given by the Medici Quartet and the English Chamber Orchestra in the presence of HRH the Duchess of Kent.
Designed by architects van Heyningen and Haward, with acoustics by Arup Acoustics, the Building boasts the 200-seat Edward Boyle Auditorium, now with Steinway D concert grand piano, and six practice rooms, with excellent disabled access for performers and audiences alike. The enduring spirit of Jacqueline du Pré is reflected in a striking glass engraving by Lawrence Whistler and a full colour reproduction of her familiar cello-playing portrait. In 2002, thanks to a legacy from the Rev. Brian Duke, the Brian Duke Foyer was added, also designed by van Heyningen & Haward. This elegant glass structure complements beautifully the original building and is a great asset, serving both audiences and musicians.
From 1994 to 2006, the College devolved responsibility for the Building and its programmes to a subsidiary charity, the Jacqueline du Pré Music Building Company. Its Board of Trustees, who included both Fellows of the College and others with knowledge of the musical world, oversaw the establishment of the Building as a respected venue hosting performances by artists of international reputation, providing a base for prestigious Festivals, and promoting a wide range of educational and community events. In 1998, the cellist Steve Isserlis became the Building’s Patron. In 2001 the Belcea Quartet became Quartet in Residence. A long and distinguished line of performers accepted the invitation to perform in the JdP’s own series of concerts.
In July 2006, St Hilda’s College resumed direct responsibility for the JdP. An immediate priority was the enhancement of the Building itself, most notably air conditioning, and, in the autumn of 2007, thanks to a generous gift to the College, a Steinway D Concert Grand piano. The creation in 2006 of a new post of Director of College Music was recognition of the contribution that music makes to the life of a college community: the St Hilda’s Music Society’s recital series is now an established feature of the JdP’s programmes.
St Hilda’s is committed to sustaining and developing the JdP as a centre for the learning, teaching, performance and experience of music at all levels, at all ages, and from all backgrounds. The College is pleased to be able to draw on the support of Alumnae of the College, Friends of the JdP, private trusts and public funding bodies in ensuring that the artistic, educational and community programmes which take place in the JdP remain a truly living memorial of Jacqueline du Pré.
