Cellist Damir Hamidulin is a virtuoso soloist and an excellent representative of the famous Russian cello school. He studied with Ittaki Halitov on the Kazan Conservatoire, graduating in 1981. During his studies, he was awarded many prizes, among them the second prize at the Russian String Competition in 1981, where he also won the Special Prize for the best performance of Shostakovich Sonata for cello. Later he undertook postgraduate studies. He studied with renounce cellist Fedor Luzano and became his Assistant at the Gnesin Institute in Moscow.

Mr. Hamidulin has played many times as a solo cellist with the Kazan Philharmonics and with other Symphonic and Chamer orchestras in Europe. Among the cello concertos he plays are: Haydn, Dvorak, Saint-Saens, Schumann, and Tschaikovsky.

While in Russia, he performed with many contemporary composers giving world premier of their works. This resulted in a number of radio broadcasts of his classical repertoire. After being invited to Slovenia as first solo cellist in the National Opera House in Ljubljana, he continued in his tradition, and some Slovenian composers have written pieces for him.

He has performed many solo concerts, as well as with the piano trio Amael. H taught cello and chamber music at the Conservatoire in his native Kazan. He teaches master classes in Croatia and Slovenia. Many of his students have won first prizes in national and international competitions.

Zoltan Peter (b. 1968) attended the Secondary School of Music in Subotica, and then studied under Professor Arbo Valdma at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad. He completed his training as a pianist at the Ljubljana Academy of Music. While studying there, he won a number of prizes: the Beethoven Prize of Subotica Music School, the Melannija Bugarinovic Fund Prize for the best accompanist of a solo singer, and several first prizes at young musicians' competitions in former Yugoslavia. In 1990, as young Musician of the Year, Mr. Peter was chosen as a soloist for the Vojvodina Youth Philharmonia and toured a Mozart piano concert under the baton of Igor Gjadrov. As a soloist, chamber musician, and piano accompanist for top musicians, he has appeared in all the musical centers of former Yugoslavia; he has also performed in Italy, Hungary, Germany and the former Soviet Union.

His solo repertoire includes classical and romantic works as well as the works of some contemporary composers. He has achieved his greatest success with his interpretations of Chopin, Rachmaninov, Liszt, and Bartok. He frequently performs works by Slovenian composers.

Zolan Peter teaches at the Trebnje Music School; he is also an accompany pianist at the Secondary Music and Ballet School and at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana. He gives concerts at home and abroad and regularly takes part in the summer seminars as a piano accompanist and as an assistant to professor Arbo Valdma.