The Swiss-based Adelaide-born cellist James Morley got a rock star welcome when he walked through the audience to the stage of Sydney Opera House’s Utzon Room for a bravura programme of old and (mainly) new music.

Popular here for his appearances with the Australian Youth Orchestra, Ensemble Apex and various chamber groups, Morley is less known to mainstream concertgoers as a solo performer. But after this recital as part of the Utzon Music series, all that could change.

James Morley. Photo © Cassandra Hannagan

Morley studied at Sydney Conservatorium with Goldner String Quartet cellist Julian Smiles and with Howard Penny in Melbourne before moving to Basel to complete a Masters in Contemporary Music Performance. As well as conventional orchestral and chamber performances he is an improviser and plays electronic music. He was an Emerging Artist for the Australian Chamber Orchestra in 2019 and toured with them.

Two challenging solo pieces started his 90-minute programme. French composer Henri Dutilleux wrote his Trois strophes sur le nom de Sacher in 1976 as part of the 70th birthday celebrations for Paul Sacher, the billionaire Swiss conductor and commissioner of some of the...