Born on March 5, 1987 in Zwickau, Germany, Marie-Elisabeth Hecker is an acclaimed German cellist and educator. She began practicing the cello at the age of five and, in 1992, attended the Robert-Schumann-Konservatorium, which is located in Zwikau, Schumann’s hometown. German cellist Peter Bruns became her primary teacher, but she also studied under Heinrich Schiff. Hecker attended masterclasses with international Dutch celliests such as Anner Bylsma (the Netherlands), Bernard Greenhouse (U.S.), Frans Helmerson (Swedish), Gary Hoffman (U.S.) and Steven Isserlis (UK). In 1999, at the age of 12, she won Germany’s Jugend musiziert competition. She followed that up two years later by winning the special prize at the 2001 Dotzauer Competition. Hecker became a worldwide sensation when, at the Eighth Rostropovich Competition in Paris in 2005, where she became the first contestant in the event’s history to win the first prize as well as two special prizes. Over the course of her career, Hecker has performed with the Dresden Philharmonic, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Staatskapelle Berlin, the Wiener Symphoniker, and more. She is a professor at Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber in Dresden. Her recorded output includes the album Schubert: Arpeggione Sonata & Trio No. 2, and album recorded with her husband, pianist Martin Helmchen.
