Marie-Elisabeth Hecker
cellist
Marie-Elisabeth Hecker is one of the most sought-after cellists of her generation, admired for the emotional depth, warmth, and sensitivity of her playing. She made her international breakthrough in 2005 at the Rostropovich Competition in Paris, becoming the first contestant in the competition’s history to win First Prize and two special prizes.
Since then, she has appeared with many of the world’s leading orchestras, including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Dresden Philharmonic, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Staatskapelle Berlin, and Wiener Symphoniker. She has worked with conductors such as Daniel Barenboim, Valery Gergiev, Daniel Harding, Fabio Luisi, Kent Nagano, Christian Thielemann, and Christoph von Dohnányi.
An active recitalist and chamber musician, Hecker regularly performs with her husband, pianist Martin Helmchen, as well as artists including Antje Weithaas, Christian Tetzlaff, Isabelle Faust, Augustin Hadelich, and Vilde Frang. She is co-founder and co-artistic director of the Internationales Kammermusikfestival Fliessen.
Born in Zwickau, Germany, Hecker studied with Peter Bruns, Heinrich Schiff, and Frans Helmerson at Kronberg Academy. She teaches masterclasses at Kronberg Academy and supports educational music projects in Rwanda through Music Road Rwanda.
