Cellist Zara Nelsova, who taught at Juilliard from 1985 until earlier this year, died on October 10 in Manhattan at the age of 84.

Zara Nelsova (Photo by Christian Steiner)

Nelsova was born in Winnipeg, Canada, where her parents had settled after emigrating from Russia in 1910. She began lessons at 5 with her father (a flutist), who converted a viola into a cello for his little daughter. A grant from the Manitoba Ministry of Education helped Nelsova and her family move to England in 1929, where she began studying at the London Violoncello School. At 12, she made her solo debut with the London Symphony under Sir Malcolm Sargent.

Forming the Canadian Trio with her two older sisters (who played piano and violin), Nelsova toured Canada, England, and Australia from 1930 until 1939. She then returned to Canada and became principal cellist with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. She studied with Gregor Piatigorsky, Emanuel Feuermann and Pablo Casals, and made her U.S. debut in 1942.

Nelsova studied Ernst Bloch's cello works with him in 1949, and recorded his Schelomo for cello and orchestra with the composer conducting. (Bloch dedicated two of his three suites for unaccompanied cello to her.) She also played the Walton and Barber concertos under the baton of those composers, and was selected by Barber to record his concerto.

In 1966, Nelsova was the first U.S. soloist to tour Russia (she became an American citizen in 1955). She appeared as soloist with numerous orchestras under renowned conductors and at international festivals. She also toured with pianist Grant Johannesen (to whom she was married from 1963-73) and played at the White House for Richard Nixon. Nelsova continued performing until 1997.