Zara Nelsova (born Sara Katznelson, December 23, 1918 – October 10, 2002) was a prominent cellist.
She was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, to parents of Russian descent, and first performed at the age of five in Winnipeg. She eventually moved with her family to London, England, where she studied at the London Cello School with its principal,Herbert Walenn. She was heard by Sir John Barbirolli and introduced by him to Pablo Casals, from whom she received additional lessons. In 1932, she gave a London debut recital (at 13 years of age!) and appeared as soloist with Sir Malcolm Sargent and the London Symphony Orchestra. During World War II she was principal cellist of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and in 1942 made her U.S. solo debut at Town Hall in New York. From 1942 to 1944, she was cellist of the Conservatory String Quartet.
In 1949 Nelsova moved to London, where she introduced to Britain new works by Samuel Barber, Paul Hindemith, Dmitri Shostakovich and Ernest Bloch, who dedicated his three suites for unaccompanied cello to her. She premiered Hugh Wood's concerto at the 1969 Promenade concerts. In 1955 she became an American citizen, and performed as a soloist for many major orchestras, including Boston, Winnipeg, Montreal and the New York Philharmonic. She also toured extensively, and in 1966 was the first North American cellist to play in the Soviet Union. From 1966 to 1973 she was married to the American pianist Grant Johannesen, with whom she often performed and recorded. Her dignified, introspective readings of Bloch's Schelomo and Barber's Cello Concerto were both recorded with the composers conducting. (She later re-recorded Schelomo under Ernest Ansermet, also for the Decca-London label and also magnificently.) She played a Stradivari cello, the "Marquis de Corberon" of 1726. She taught at the Juilliard School in New York City from 1962 to 2002 (the year of her death). In 1978, Gerhard Samuel composed "In Memoriam DQ" for Solo Cello (copyright 1990 MMB Music), for Zara, which was first performed on Jan 7, 1980. She died in New York City.