Zachary Connor, cello
Edward Neeman, piano
David Pereira, cello
Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture, Barton June
14
Reviewed by Len Power
What inspires music, what does the new draw from the old, and how do we keep making music? These were the questions Zachary Connor, cellist, had in mind when designing the program for this concert.
The result was a program of 2 works from past masters and premieres of 2 new works composed by himself with echoes of those earlier inspirational works.
Joining him on the stage were two other superb artists, Edward Neeman, piano and David Pereira, cello.
Introduced by Connor in a relaxed, down-to-earth manner, the concert began with a short work, Improv. Connor explained after playing it that the work really was an improvisation of the moment. Beautifully played, it demonstrated his mastery of the cello.
Zachary Connor
Zachary Connor and Edward Neeman
David Pereira joined Connor and Neeman onstage for the two works composed by Connor – Martyr and A Suite from the Afterlife. Connor invited the audience to listen for echoes of Cassadó and Shostakovich in the works.
Edward Neeman, David Pereira and Zachary Connor
A Suite from the Afterlife was written for the stage play of the same name. This delicate, melancholy work evoked memories of the past and was a nicely tender ending to this inspirational concert.
Photos by Dalice Trost
This
review was first published by Canberra CityNews digital edition on 15 June 2025.
Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs and published in his blog 'Just Power Writing' at https://justpowerwriting.blogspot.com/.