Jelena Dirks, Piano

Biography

California native Jelena Dirks is the third generation of professional women musicians in her family. Ms. Dirks began study of the violin at age three, the piano at age four, and began playing chamber music with her mother at age 10. The following year her enthusiasm for music expanded to include oboe study.

Ms. Dirks has two Bachelors degrees from St Olaf College and two Masters degrees from the University of Michigan: one of each in oboe performance and piano performance. She is on the faculty at the Lake Forest Symphony Music School, and was recently invited to join the faculty of DePaul University.

Ms. Dirks has performed in concert on both the piano and the oboe, in recitals, chamber music concerts, and with orchestras across the United States, and at international venues in China, Canada, and the Caribbean. She played in the oboe section of the Chicago Symphony for the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 seasons, and continues playing with them this year, where she shares the stage with her mother, Chicago Symphony violist Karen Dirks.