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. Neal Cary is honored to serve as principal cello with the new Eastern Festival of Music. From 1984 through 2024 he was on the faculty of the now dissolved old Eastern Music Festival, where he served as principal cello since 1988.
Neal Cary is principal cellist with the Richmond Symphony (since 1988). From 2002-2024 he was also principal cellist of the Williamsburg Symphony. Neal Cary has performed with the All-Star Orchestra—an orchestra comprised of some of the finest musicians in the United States for five of its six seasons
In addition to his symphony work, Neal Cary has been a member of the Applied Music Faculty at the College of William and Mary teaching both cello and chamber music since 1991. Since 1989, Neal Cary has been a member of the Richmond Chamber Players.
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 Ochestras. From 1994–98, he was a member of the Applied Music Faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University. 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 Cary has completed a “performance edition” of the Popper Études (as yet unpublished) and is working on a companion book which explains how to practice these études. He has also completed an unpublished edition of the Bach Suites for Solo Cello, based on three surviving copies of Bach’s manuscript.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. YouTube videos of Mr. Cary include a live performance of the Elgar Cello Concerto, a performance of the Saint-Saëns Concerto No. 2, and a video lesson on the Saint-Saëns.