Often we think of a musical instrument's properties in the context of ensemble performance, where it fits in an overall sonic tapestry with any or all components such as voice, strings, brass, winds, percussion and, on rare occasions, with that guy who plays a comb covered with tissue paper.

The virtuoso classical cellist Matt Haimovitz, though, has become renowned through his ground-breaking solo recitals — whether they take place in world-famous concert halls, rock clubs, coffee shops or, yes, one time in a crypt inside the Church of the Intercession in Harlem.

On Friday, Haimovitz presents his program "The Bach Suites: A Moveable Feast" in Evans Hall on the grounds of New London's Connecticut College.

The evening showcases performances of Bach's gorgeous and spiritual "Suites for Unaccompanied Cello," along with six works Haimovitz commissioned in 2015 by contemporary artists to serve as preludes for the Bach suites. Philip Glass, Du Yun, Vijay Iyer, Roberto Sierra, Mohammed Fairouz, and Luna Pearl Woolf composed the new pieces, and Haimovitz's fusion of the new and old is a remarkable example of how classical music evolves with and adapts to the times.

Matt Haimovitz, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Evans Hall, Connecticut College, 200 Mohegan Ave., New London; $18, $16 seniors, $9 students; (860) 439-2787.