Cello professor delivers 'last lecture'
Cello Professor Robert Jesselson gave a rare look into his personal history Wednesday night when he delivered the latest installment in Carolina Scholar Association’s Last Lecture series.
“This should be called my first lecture, I usually don’t talk much in the classes I teach,” Jesselson said. “Most of my students don’t even know my personal background.”
Jesselson’s parents escaped from Germany during World War II and moved to the United States. Later in life, Jesselson’s parents brought him back to Germany, where he saw where they lived and learned how hard they had worked.
“My parents never looked back and gave me so many opportunities to succeed,” Jesselson said.
While Jesselson said he always had a love for music, he did not take up cello seriously until the age of 21. His music career took off quickly after that, and eventually he ended up at USC.
“I am grateful to have had the opportunity to shape the School of Music here at USC,” Jesselson said.
Jesselson went on to discuss the importance of teachers at every level of education, and said being a teacher in Jewish or Chinese cultures is a position of prominence.
“Teachers are not as revered here as in other cultures,” Jesselson said.