| Biography | Zara Nelsova (born Sarah Nelson, December 23, 1918 October 10, 2002) was a prominent cellist.
She was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, to parents of Russian descent, and first performed at the age of five in Winnipeg. She moved with her family to London, where she studied at the London Cello School with its principal, Herbert Walenn. She was heard by Sir John Barbirolli and introduced by him to Pablo Casals, from whom she received additional lessons. In 1932 she gave a London debut recital and appeared as soloist with Sir Malcolm Sargent and the London Symphony Orchestra. During World War II she was principal cellist of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and in 1942 she made her US solo debut at Town Hall in New York. From 1942-1944 she was cellist of the Conservatory String Quartet.
In 1949 Nelsova moved to London where she introduced to Britain new works by Samuel Barber, Paul Hindemith, Dmitri Shostakovich and Ernest Bloch, who dedicated his three suites for unaccompanied cello to her. She premiered Hugh Wood's concerto at the 1969 Promenade concerts. In 1955 she became an American citizen, and performed as a soloist for many major orchestras, including Boston, Winnipeg, Montreal and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. She also toured extensively, becoming in 1966 the first North American cellist to play in the Soviet Union. From 1966 to 1973 she was married to the American pianist Grant Johannesen, with whom she often performed and recorded. Her renditions of Bloch's Schelomo and Barber's Cello Concerto were both recorded with the composers conducting. She played a Stradivari cello, the "Marquis de Corberon," dated 1726. She taught at the Juilliard School in New York City from 19622002. In 1978, Gerhard Samuel composed "In Memoriam DQ" for Solo Cello (copyright 1990 MMB Music), for Zara. The first performance occurred Jan 7, 1980. She died in New York City. |