Dupre, Desmond John (1916-1974), an English musician, was an outstanding performer on the guitar, lute, and bass and tenor viol. He developed a deep understanding of music written from the 1500’s to the 1700’s and made guitar arrangements of several works for lute. Dupre performed regularly with the famous English countertenor Alfred Deller.
Dupre was born on Dec. 19, 1916, in London. He studied chemistry at St. John’s College, Oxford University, from 1936 to 1940, before turning to music. He attended the Royal College of Music in London in 1946 and 1947. Dupre was the first president of the Lute Society, serving from 1956 to 1973. He died on Aug. 16, 1974.
