Michael Flaksman and Jelena Ocic

Duo Cello Recital

Program Details

March 30th, 2008 - 3:00pm
Shuck Recital Hall, River Campus

Professor of Cello and Vice President Germany's Mannheim Musikhochschule, Michael Flaksman travels to southeast Missouri with his protégé Jelena Ocic to present a program of duo and solo music for the cello.

Artists' Information

Michael Flaksman

Professor of Cello and Vice President of the Mannheim Musikhochschule, Michael studied in the United States with Ernst Silberstein and Maurice Eisenberg, in Germany (as a Fulbright Scholar) with Antonio Janigro, and chamber music with Sándor Végh in Salzburg. As a young performer, he studied in master classes with some the legends of the cello including Pablo Casals, Gregor Piatigorsky, and Leonard Rose. In addition, Mr. Flaksman pursued theoretical studies with the master pedagogue Nadia Boulanger. He has served as principal cellist of various orchestras and maintains world-wide concert career as a soloist and in chamber music, including appearances at the Marlboro Festival and "Open Chamber Music" at Prussia Cove (England). A graduate of Harvard University and the Stuttgart Musikhochschule, he teaches numerous international master classes and serves as adjudicator at international competitions. Mr. Flaksman's international pedagogical activities including his creation of the Carl Flesch Courses in Baden-Baden and the Ascoli Piceno Festival in Italy.

Jelena Ocic

Jelena was born in Zagreb, the capital city of Croatia. After completing her musical studies at the Zagreb Music Academy with honors, she entered the class of Michael Flaksman at the University of Music and the Performing Arts ("Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst") in Mannheim, Germany, where she took postgraduate degrees in cello and chamber music and now teaches. Her studies also included master classes with noted cellists such as Leslie Parnas, Mischa Maisky and Heinrich Schiff, and a personal course of study with Bernard Greenhouse, founding member of the famed Beaux Arts Trio.

Ms. Ocic has performed at the prestigious Menuhin Festival in Gstaad, and has been a featured soloist with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Baden-Baden, the Heilbronn Symphony, Arco Festival Orchestra, "Solisti di Zagreb", "Deutsches Kammerorchester", Korean Chamber Ensemble, and the Chamber Orchestra of Padua and the Veneto. In addition, she has participated in television/radio performances throughout Europe. Renowned cellist Siegfried Palm has described Ms. Ocic as "one of the most promising talents of her generation." Her notable interpretations of contemporary music have garnered personal dedications and premiere performances of works by composers Klaus Cornell, Hans-Peter Dott, and Andreas Sorg, among others. She plays a Grancino cello from 1696.