Monika Leskovar — Cellist

The Croatian cellist Monika Leskovar (Kreuztal, Germany, 15 March 1981) started to play the violoncello at the age of six in the class of Dobrila Berković Magdalenić at the Elly Bašić Music School in Zagreb. Aged 13 she gained public attention having won the first prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Sendai, Japan in 1995.

In Zagreb she was also a student of Valter Dešpalj before continuing her studies in Germany, where she got her diploma and finished postgraduate studies in the class of David Geringas at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin. In 2006 she became his assistant at the same school. Monika Leskovar attended master classes given by Mstislav Rostropovich and Bernard Greenhouse. She was the winner at many international competitions such as the ARD in Munich (2001), Mstislav Rostropovich in Paris, Roberto Caruana in Milan (1999) and Adam in New Zealand (2003). She was the first Croatian representative at the Eurovision Competition for Young Musicians and was a finalist at the concert in Vienna in 1998.

Having gained a notable reputation, Monika Leskovar has given numerous concerts in Japan, Belgium, France, Germany, Denmark, Hungary, Great Britain, New Zealand and Australia. As a soloist she has performed with important orchestras such as the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra, Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonie Essen, Prague Chamber Orchestra, Latvian Chamber Orchestra, Kremerata Baltica, Zagreb Soloists and others, conducted by Valery Gergiev, Thomas Hengelbrock, Krzysztof Penderecki and many other renowned maestros.

A frequent guest of festivals worldwide, Monika Leskovar has performed at the Manchester International Cello Festival, Kronberg Academy Festival, Rostropovich Festival, Festival Casals, Dubrovnik Summer Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Mozartfest Würzburg and other important music festivals. As a chamber musician she has had numerous very successful collaborations with artists of international standing, including Giovanni Sollima, Ivana Švarc Grenda, Boris Berezovsky, Sofia Gubaidulina, Yuri Bashmet, Julian Rachlin, Stefan Milenkovich, Mischa Maisky, Itamar Golan, Gidon Kremer, Mario Brunello, Patti Smith, Janine Jansen and others.

During the 2010/2011 season Monika Leskovar was principal cellist of the Münchner Philharmoniker. From 2012 she taught at the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana in Lugano, and since 2017 she has held the post of assistant professor at the Academy of Music of the University of Zagreb. She plays a violoncello by the Neapolitan master Vincenzo Postiglione from 1884, which was given to her use by the City of Zagreb and the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra.