Artist Faculty Performance Spotlight
Neal Cary, cello
Neal Cary has been praised for his “robust tone and high-romantic phrasing,” and the “tremendous amount of emotion and heart” he brings to his performances.
He has been principal cellist with the Richmond Symphony (Virginia, U.S.A) since 1988, and served as principal cellist of the Williamsburg Symphony from 2002-2025. In 1984, he joined the faculty of the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, North Carolina, and has served as principal cellist there every summer since 1988. Since 2012, Neal Cary has been a member of the All-Star Orchestra—an orchestra composed of some of the finest musicians in the United States. This orchestra was created for the production of television programs airing on various PBS stations throughout the United States. Neal Cary has been a member of the applied music faculty at the College of William & Mary since 1991. At William & Mary, he teaches all levels of cellists from beginners to the extremely advanced, and coaches string chamber music. From 1994–98, he was on the adjunct faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University. Since 1989, Neal Cary has been a member of the Richmond Chamber Players which performs three programs in Richmond on Sundays in August. In 2024, he assumed the Artistic Director position with this ensemble.
Previous to his employment in the Richmond area, Neal Cary was co-principal cellist of the Kansas City Philharmonic and assistant principal cellist of the Tulsa Philharmonic, the San Antonio Symphony, and the Denver Symphony Orchestra. While a student at The Juilliard School, he was a chamber music teaching assistant to Earl Carlyss and Claus Adam in 1980–81. While a student at Meadowmount School of Music during the summers of 1980 and 1981, he was a chamber music teaching assistant to Joseph Gingold.
Neal Cary’s major teachers have included Pat Ficarra, Robert Newkirk, Channing Robbins, and the world-renowned Leonard Rose. Mr. Cary holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Catholic University of America, and a Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School of Music. Notable recital performances in the Richmond area include performances from memory of the 40 Popper Études and all the Bach Suites for Solo Cello. Mr. Cary has completed a “performance edition” of the Popper Études (as yet unpublished) and is working on a companion book which explains how to practice these études. He has also completed an unpublished edition of the Bach Suites for Solo Cello, based on three surviving copies of Bach’s manuscript. Concerto performances include nearly 50 performances of most of the major cello concertos, unusual works, and a world premier with orchestras on the East Coast. In the 25/26 season of the Richmond Symphony, he is scheduled to perform the Dvorak Cello Concerto.
In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife Catherine, a professional violinist, his daughter Emma, a professional cellist, and his son Alan, who is well on his way to becoming a professional pianist.
