David Pereira Cello Series

These cello-focussed concerts continue to build a reputation for their friendliness and intimacy, as well as for their rigorously high quality. They are aimed especially at passionate and dedicated listeners.

The aim of the David Pereira Cello Series is to present concerts that feature the cello as soloist or as collaborator with a variety of other instruments, especially piano. The programs are of generous length and bring together music of diverse periods and styles. The series benefits from the perfect acoustics and intimate nature of the music room of the Wesley Music Centre and other venues.

The David Pereira Cello Series is supported and partly administered by the volunteers of the Wesley Music Foundation. Performances take place at the Cootamundra Creative Arts & Cultural Centre; the Wesley Music Centre; the Boyd Education Centre, Riversdale near Nowra NSW; the Crisp Galleries, near Yass NSW; and the Finnish Embassy, Canberra.

History

David's recitals at Wesley began in September 2007, and an annual series was established in 2008. The September concert in 2007 with Marcela Fiorilla won the two musicians the Canberra Critics Award for the best Performance of the Year.  Notable musicians that have performed in the Series include Timothy Young, piano; Alice Giles, harp; Larry Sitsky, piano; Barbara Jane Gilby, violin; Suzanne Powell, piano; Alan Vivian, clarinet; Alan Hicks, piano; Christina Wilson, soprano and Arnan Wiesel, piano.

Commissions  

The Series has proudly commissioned new Australian works using cello, including Elena Kats-Chernin's Without Words premiered in July 2009. Donations towards new commissions are tax-deductible through the Wesley Music Foundation. Composers are welcome to submit new works for consideration.

Funding

So far, the Series successfully has functioned without sponsorship, grants or funding, private or public, except for the new composition commissioning process. However, there is mounting pressure to find new sources of funds to remunerate guest musicians more generously, without raising ticket prices.

Photographs:

1. The Wesley Music Centre.
2. Katherine Day, piano and David Pereira, cello at the Wesley Music Centre, 18 July 2009.