A native of Croatia, Zoran Jakovcic made his solo orchestral debut as winner of the National Competition in Zagreb. He has performed in recital and as soloist with orchestras in Europe, Japan, China, and the US. Mr. Jakovcic was first violinist of the Essex Quartet (1988-98), winner of numerous competitions and awards with residences at Juilliard, Yale, Rutgers, Meadowmount, Banff and Aspen.

In 2005 Mr. Jakovcic joined the Maia Quartet, Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Iowa. The Maia Quartet performed throughout the US, Japan and China, collaborated with leading chamber musicians including Joel Krosnick, Andre-Michel Schub, Cynthia Phelps, Daniel Avshalomov and Wendy Warner, and premiered and recorded works by Pierre Jalbert, Magnus Lindberg, Dan Coleman, Vivian Fung and Ronn Yedidia. Mr. Jakovcic taught and performed at the Great Wall International Music Academy in China, Up-Beat Festival in Japan, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Killington Music Festival and the Austin Chamber Music Festival.

Mr. Jakovcic graduated from The Juilliard School as a student of Dorothy Delay and served as teaching assistant to Robert Mann of the Juilliard Quartet. An accomplished teacher and administrator, Mr. Jakovcic has founded the Arcady International Music Camp (ME) and the Thurnauer Chamber Music Camp (NJ), and served on the faculty of the University of Iowa and Columbus State University in Georgia. Currently, Mr. Jakovcic is the Assistant Professor at Ball State University in Indiana.

Professor Réne Lecuona is co-chair of the piano area at the University of Iowa. She has performed in France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, and Scotland as well as throughout Latin America and the United States. She earned undergraduate and master's degrees at Indiana University. She was awarded a Performer’s Certificate and a doctorate from the Eastman School of Music, where she won the concerto competition. Her teachers have included Rebecca Penneys, Menahem Pressler, Edward Auer, Shigeo Neriki, Laurie Conrad, and György Sebök.

Réne Lecuona’s performances and recordings have received high praise: “Lecuona seems to lavish well-considered planning to every note she plays. Her control of the keyboard is amazing.” (Karl F. Miller, Fanfare Magazine); “Lecuona plays [the Boëllmann Sonata for Cello and Piano] with scintillating brilliance.” (Jerry Dubins, Fanfare); “Pianist Lecuona’s playing was remarkable, and her dialoguing and interplay with the string players was exceptional” (Chantal Incandela: Nuvo, Indianapolis Arts); and “…Lecuona was the brightest star in the galaxy that night. She plays [Rhapsody in Blue] with such passion and fervor…” (Diana Nollen, The Gazette, Cedar Rapids).

Lecuona’s playing may be heard on labels such as Fleur de Sons, Blue Griffin, Cybele, Capstone, Innova, and CRI. Most recently, Lecuona and cellist Hannah Holman recorded three Romantic sonatas by composers Dora Pejacevic, Henriette Bosmans, and Ethel Smyth.