Pau Casals.

Pau Casals i Defilló

Born 29 Dec 1876 El Vendrell, Spain

Died 22 Oct 1973 San Juan

Citizenship Spain

9 min read

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Jul 10, 2026

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Awards

TL;DR

Pau Casals was a Spanish cellist and composer who became an international sensation for his musical style. Born in 1876 in El Vendrell, he studied at the Municipal Conservatory of Music of Barcelona and the Madrid Royal Conservatory. He self-exiled to Puerto Rico after the Spanish Civil War and died there in 1973 at age 96. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, among 11 major honors.

Identity & family.

KIN · 5

Names, aliases, and relatives of Pau Casals — birth name, kin, and personal ties.

Native Name Pau Casals i Defilló

Aliases Pablo Casals

Parents: Pilar Defilló Amiguet Carles Casals i Ribes
Spouses: Marta Angélica Montañez y Martinez Susan Metcalfe
Siblings: Enric Casals

At a glance.

STATS

Pau Casals by the numbers — life, work, and family.

96 Years lived

11 Awards

2 Marriages

Who was Pau Casals?

BIOGRAPHY

Pau Casals — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.

Early life

Pau Casals was born on December 29, 1876 in El Vendrell, a small town in Catalonia, Spain. His father, Carles Casals i Ribes, was an organist and church musician, and his mother, Pilar Defilló Amiguet, was from Puerto Rico. From a young age, Casals performed with his father in church. He was the third of nine children, and his brother Enric Casals also became a musician. He received his formal music education at the Municipal Conservatory of Music of Barcelona and later at the Madrid Royal Conservatory.

Career

After finishing his studies, Casals began performing as a cellist and built an international reputation. The Spanish Civil War and Francisco Franco’s victory forced him into self-exile. He moved to Puerto Rico, where he continued to perform and compose until his death.

Personal life

Casals married twice: first to Susan Metcalfe, and later to Marta Angélica Montañez y Martinez. His widow, Marta, later married concert pianist Eugene Istomin. He was the godfather of Pablo Eisenberg, son of cellist Maurice Eisenberg. His only sibling was his brother Enric Casals, also a musician.

Legacy

Casals received 11 major awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and the United Nations Peace Medal. He also won the Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal and the Gold Medal of the Generalitat of Catalonia. He is remembered for his influence on cello playing and his commitment to peace.

Awards & honors.

AWARDS · 11

Every award, honor, and recognition received by Pau Casals — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.

Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour
Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
Charles E. Lutton Man of Music Award
Gold Medal of the Generalitat of Catalonia
Presidential Medal of Freedom
Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal
United Nations Peace Medal
Hijo Adoptivo de Barcelona
Walter Willson Cobbett Medal
honorary doctorate of the University of Montpellier

Notable quotes.

QUOTES · 19

A wall of memorable lines from Pau Casals — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.

I Feel the Capacity to Care Is the Thing Which Gives Life Its Deepest Significance
The First Thing to Do in Life Is to Do with Purpose What One Purposes to Do
The Child Must Know That He Is a Miracle, That Since the Beginning of the World There Hasn’t Been, and Until the End of the World There Will Not Be, Another Child Like Him
The Heart of the Melody Can Never Be Put Down on Paper
To Retire Is to Begin to Die
Each Person Has Inside a Basic Decency and Goodness. If He Listens to It and Acts on It, He Is Giving a Great Deal of What It Is the World Needs Most. It Is Not Complicated but It Takes Courage . . . to Listen to His Own Goodness
In Modern Business It Is Not the Crook Who Is to Be Feared Most, It Is the Honest Man Who Doesn’t Know What He Is Doing.
Let Us Not Forget That the Greatest Composers Were Also the Greatest Thieves. They Stole from Everyone and Everywhere.
Bach Is the Supreme Genius of Music… This Man, Who Knows Everything and Feels Everything, Cannot Write One Note, However Unimportant It May Appear, Which Is Anything but Transcendent. He Has Reached the Heart of Every Noble Thought, and Has Done It in the Most Perfect Way.
I Am Perhaps the Oldest Musician in the World. I Am an Old Man but in Many Senses a Very Young Man. and This Is What I Want You to Be, Young, Young All Your Life, and to Say Things to the World That Are True.
The Love of One’s Country Is a Splendid Thing. but Why Should Love Stop at the Border?
Music Should Serve a Purpose; It Should Be a Part of Something Much More Larger, a Part of Humanity.
The Cello Is Like a Beautiful Woman Who Has Not Grown Older, but Younger with Time, More Slender, More Supple, More Graceful.
We Ought to Think That We Are the Leaves of a Tree, and the Tree Is All of Humanity. We Cannot Live Without the Others, and Especially Without the Tree.
Music Is the Divine Way to Tell Beautiful, Poetic Things to the Heart.
The Art of Interpretation Is Not to Play What Is Written.
Beauty Is All About Us, but How Many Are Blind! They Look at the Wonder of This Earth and Seem to See Nothing. People Move Hectically but Give Little Thought to Where They Are Going. They Seek Excitement … as If They Were Lost and Desperate.
To Strip Human Nature Until Its Divine Attributes Are Made Clear, to Inform Ordinary Activities with Spiritual Fervor, to Give Wings of Eternity to That Which Is Most Ephemeral; to Make Divine Things Human and Human Things Divine; Such Is Bach, the Greatest and Purest Moment in Music of All Time.
The Most Perfect Technique Is That Which Is Not Noticed at All.

Did you know?

FACTS · 5

Little-known facts about Pau Casals — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.

The widow of Casals, Marta Angélica Montañez, later married concert pianist Eugene Istomin.
Luis A. Ferré, who served as Governor of Puerto Rico from 1969 to 1972, was Casals’s first cousin once removed.
Sor Isolina Ferre, a Puerto Rican humanitarian who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bill Clinton in 1999, was Casals’s first cousin once removed.
Casals was first cousin twice removed of Puerto Rican novelist Rosario Ferré.
Pablo Eisenberg, son of cellist Maurice Eisenberg, was Casals’s godson and was named after him. Maurice Eisenberg taught at the Juilliard School in New York from the 1960s until his death in 1972.

You wanted to know.

FAQ · 30

Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Pau Casals.

When was Pau Casals born?

Pau Casals was born on December 29, 1876. He was born in El Vendrell, Spain. He died at age 96 in 1973.
Where was Pau Casals born?

He was born in El Vendrell, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. This is a small town in the northeastern region of Spain.
When did Pau Casals die?

He died on October 22, 1973. He passed away in San Juan, Puerto Rico at age 96.
How old was Pau Casals when he died?

He was 96 years old. He was born in 1876 and died in 1973.
Where did Pau Casals die?

He died in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He had moved there after the Spanish Civil War and lived there until his death.
How did Pau Casals die?

The cause of his death was not publicly disclosed. He died in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1973.
What is Pau Casals's name in Catalan?

His full Catalan name is Pau Casals i Defilló. He is also known as Pablo Casals internationally.
What is Pau Casals also known as?

He is also known as Pablo Casals. This is the Spanish version of his name.
What was Pau Casals's occupation?

He was a composer, cellist, and actor. He is best known as a world-class cellist and conductor.
What nationality was Pau Casals?

He was Spanish. He was born in Catalonia, Spain, and held Spanish citizenship.
Who were Pau Casals's parents?

His father was Carles Casals i Ribes, a church organist, and his mother was Pilar Defilló Amiguet, who was from Puerto Rico.
Who was Pau Casals married to?

He was married to Susan Metcalfe and later to Marta Angélica Montañez y Martinez. His second wife, Marta, survived him.
Did Pau Casals have siblings?

Yes, he had one known sibling, his brother Enric Casals, who also became a musician.
Where did Pau Casals study?

He studied at the Municipal Conservatory of Music of Barcelona and later at the Madrid Royal Conservatory.
What awards did Pau Casals win?

He won 11 major awards including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and the United Nations Peace Medal.
How many awards did Pau Casals win?

He won 11 awards. These include the Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal and the Gold Medal of the Generalitat of Catalonia.
Did Pau Casals receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom?

Yes, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is one of the highest civilian honors in the United States.
Did Pau Casals win a Grammy?

Yes, he received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. This award honors artists who have made significant contributions to the music industry.
How was Pau Casals related to Luis A. Ferré?

Pau Casals was first cousin once removed of Luis A. Ferré, who was Governor of Puerto Rico from 1969 to 1972.
How was Pau Casals related to Sor Isolina Ferre?

He was first cousin once removed of Sor Isolina Ferre, a Puerto Rican humanitarian who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1999.
How was Pau Casals related to Rosario Ferré?

He was first cousin twice removed of Rosario Ferré, a noted Puerto Rican novelist.
Who was Pablo Eisenberg to Pau Casals?

Pablo Eisenberg was Casals’s godson. He was named after Casals and was the son of cellist Maurice Eisenberg.
Who did Pau Casals's widow marry?

His widow, Marta Angélica Montañez y Martinez, later married concert pianist Eugene Istomin.
Why did Pau Casals move to Puerto Rico?

He self-exiled to Puerto Rico after the Spanish Civil War and the rise of Francisco Franco’s dictatorship in Spain.
What was Pau Casals's father's profession?

His father, Carles Casals i Ribes, was a church organist and musician. He gave Casals his early musical training.
What was the name of Pau Casals's brother?

His brother was Enric Casals. Enric also had a career in music.
What was Pau Casals's mother's background?

His mother, Pilar Defilló Amiguet, was from Puerto Rico. This gave Casals a connection to the island.
What Spanish honors did Pau Casals receive?

He received the Gold Medal of the Generalitat of Catalonia and was named Hijo Adoptivo de Barcelona.
Did Pau Casals receive the United Nations Peace Medal?

Yes, he was awarded the United Nations Peace Medal. This recognized his efforts for peace and human rights.
What was the name of the conservatory where Casals studied in Barcelona?

He studied at the Municipal Conservatory of Music of Barcelona. He also studied at the Madrid Royal Conservatory.

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If something's wrong in a profile, Daniel will find it. With 7 years of research experience, he's developed an almost unreasonable eye for inaccurate career timelines, misattributed credits, and dates that don't quite add up. He doesn't publish anything he can't verify. The profiles on Famousy are as accurate as they are largely because of work you'll never see his name on.

Published on July 10, 2026

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