David Finckel
(formerly Emerson Quartet)

Violoncello

Co-Artistic Director of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, David Finckel’s musical career includes performances on the world’s stages as recitalist, chamber artist, and orchestral soloist. The first American student of Rostropovich, he was a member of the nine-time Grammy Award-winning Emerson String Quartet from 1979-2013. His quartet performances and recordings include repertoire ranging from the 18th century to commissioned works. In 1997, he and pianist Wu Han founded ArtistLed, the first internet-based, artist-controlled classical recording label. In 2022, Music@Menlo, a chamber music festival in Silicon Valley founded and directed by him and Wu Han, celebrated its 20th season. Having taught extensively with Isaac Stern, he is currently a professor at the Juilliard School and Stony Brook University, and directs both CMS’s Bowers Program and Music@Menlo’s Chamber Music Institute. David’s 100 online Cello Talks, lessons on cello technique, are viewed by musicians worldwide. He was the 2012 recipient of Musical America’s Musicians of the Year Award.

David Finckel