Mother and Son Cellist Duo Play to a Packed House

A full crowd—some seated in overflow chairs placed on the stage, others standing in the back of the auditorium—packed the Yeager Room at the Bronxville Public Library on Sunday afternoon to enjoy a musical program, Duo Cellissimo - Music from Baroque to Contemporary, performed by cellists Maxine Neuman and Mark Humberg. The Friends of the Bronxville Library presented the mother and son duo in a free concert with music spanning time from the 17th through the 21st centuries.

"It's heartening to see the word has gotten out, especially on a sunny day," said Linda Smith-Shearer, Friends board member and secretary.

Three-time Grammy award winner Maxine Neuman who has an international solo and chamber music career is a member of the Orchestra of St. Luke's, the Westchester Philharmonic and a host of other ensembles. While her son, Mark Humberg, has been playing the cello since he was five years old. He majored in the instrument at LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts and has performed at Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall and Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center.

About 150 audience members of all ages—from the very young to seasoned music lovers and cellists—enjoyed the spirited, sensitive and sometimes humorous program.

"We have a varied program full of surprises," Neuman said with a smile. She explained the differences between her Baroque cello, a J.B. Guadagnini made in 1772 and Mark's modern cello, made in 1901. The duo demonstrated the differences in sound between the two instruments by each playing J.S. Bach's Prelude, from Suite #1 in G Major.

After almost an hour of captivating music, the audience's enthusiastic applause begged for an encore. Neuman and Humber delighted everyone with Charles Guonod's Funeral March of a Marionette, better known to many in the crowd as the theme song from Alfred Hitchcock Presents. The artists remained on stage to greet audience members and answer questions about their instruments and the music they played.

"We have an incredible wealth of artists in the tri-state area who are willing to come to Bronxville to perform," said Liz Lim-Dutton, member of the Friends Board of Directors and coordinator of musical programs. "Presenting the concerts is one result of our fundraising efforts."

The Friends of the Bronxville Library, which has over 800 supporters, work to focus the public's attention on the library's services and facilities, while contributing to the library's ability to serve the community. They keep an eye on the library's needs and secure materials and projects that fall outside the regular budget.

"The Village has come under intense financial pressure and library hours have been cut," Smith-Shearer explained. "The Friends voted to allocate some of the money we have raised to fund the opening of the library on Saturdays, beginning in October."

The Friends' next public concert, a "Rising Stars" concert featuring flute and classical guitar will be Sunday, October 17 at 3:00 p.m. at the Bronxville Public Library.