The six cello suites of Johann Sebastian Bach are transformative works for those who play them. Richard Narroway, who won the gold medal in 2010 at the Stulberg International String Competition, will perform three suites at First Congregational Church of Kalamazoo on Saturday, in a concert sponsored jointly by the Stulberg and the Kalamazoo Bach Festival.
In a conversation with Cara Lieurance, Mr. Narroway explains his plan to return to his native Australia next month to play all of Bach's cello suites (as well as new works by Australian composers). He'll perform in churches, shelters, retirement communities, and concert halls, traversing the coasts in a musical "walkabout."
Narroway was eighteen and a student of Hans Jensen at Northwestern University when he won the gold medal at the Stulberg International String Competition. He will graduate from The Juilliard School, where he studied with David Finckel, next month.