David Pereira Cello Series

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.

The David Pereira Cello Series is supported and partly administered by the volunteers of the Wesley Music Foundation. There is a rapidly growing subscription audience for five programs across the year. Performances take place on Wednesday evenings at the Young Regional School of Music; Thursday evenings at the Cootamundra Creative Arts & Cultural Centre; and Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons at the Wesley Music Centre. In 2010 the concerts additionally will be repeated on Sunday afternoons at the Boyd Education Centre, Riversdale near Nowra NSW or the Crisp Galleries, near Yass NSW.

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.

Subscriptions

Subscriptions to the 2010 Series are available now.

Photographs:

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