Daily Bow: Emerson String Quartet and David Finckel Part Ways

Cellist David Finckel to Leave Emerson String Quartet after 2012-2013 Season

For decades, audiences around the world have fallen in love with the Emerson String Quartet. The group, which has done numerous international tours and extensively recorded the chamber music repertoire, has been a dominant force on the classical music scene since its founding. The group as we know it, however, will change membership after the 2012-2013 season. On Tuesday, the quartet announced that cellist David Finckel is leaving and will be succeeded by Paul Watkins.

Finckel, as of late, has been extraordinarily busy. In addition to playing in one of the world’s most renowned string quartets, he has also undertaken numerous other artistic endeavors with his wife, the pianist Wu Han . The husband and wife serve together as co-directors of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and Music@Menlo. In addition to concertizing, they also have their own record label, ArtistLed, which they co-produce. Finckel acknowledged that he wanted to broaden his interests both as a cellist and as a person, specifying an interest in education.

While the other members of the quartet are sad to lose their cellist of 34 years, the group hopes that its brand name will live longer than any of its members. In this spirt, the British cellist Paul Watkins was selected to replace David Finckel next year. In a way, the two musicians are very similar: they are both known for their multifaceted artistic output. Watkins, in addition to appearing as a cello soloist, has been the music director of the English Chamber Orchestra since 2009 and a long-standing member of the Nash Ensemble, the resident chamber ensemble at Wigmore Hall.

While it is sad to see such a long partnership end, such personnel changes are inevitable after so many years. We are fortunate to have the extensive list of recordings that this group has produced and also to see the quartet live on for many more years. So good luck to the Emerson String Quartet of the future and David Finckel in his personal endeavors!