David Finckel and Wu Han
String Theory, in partnership with Lee University and the Hunter Museum of American Art, will conclude its 10th anniversary season with a concert featuring cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han, along with pianist Gloria Chien. The concert will take place on Tuesday, April 23, at 6:30 p.m. at the Hunter Museum of American Art.
String Theory was founded in 2009 by Dr. Chien with the mission of exposing new audiences to chamber music, invigorating the local classical music scene, and cultivating a future generation of music lovers.
The upcoming concert will include Mendelssohn’s Cello Sonata No. 2 in D and Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring.
As a cello and piano duo, Mr. Finckel and Ms. Han have received Musical America’s Musicians of the Year Award, one of the highest honors granted by the music industry. Over the past year, the duo has performed in prestigious venues and concert series throughout the United States, Mexico, Canada, Asia, and Europe. Additionally, Mr. Finckel and Ms. Han collaborated with violinist Philip Setzer to perform the complete cycle of Beethoven’s piano trios and completed the filming of a two-part television feature set to air on PBS stations soon.
They are the founders and artistic directors of Music@Menlo, a chamber music festival and institute in Silicon Valley currently in its 16th season. Mr. Finckel and Ms. Han are currently in their third term as artistic directors of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. They also serve as artistic co-directors of Chamber Music Today, a festival held annually in Seoul, South Korea.
Demonstrating their passion for furthering the careers of young artists, Mr. Finckel and Ms. Han have participated in a variety of music education initiatives. For a number of years, the duo taught with the late Isaac Stern at Carnegie Hall and the Jerusalem Music Center. At the Aspen Music Festival, they started a chamber music studio. In collaboration with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the duo created Chamber Music Encounters. Mr. Finckel and Ms. Han also direct the LG Chamber Music School, which works with dozens of musicians in Korea each year. Finckel also works as professor of cello at The Juilliard School and serves as artist-in-residence at Stony Brook University.
Dr. Chien, selected by the Boston Globe as one of its Superior Pianists of the year, “… who appears to excel in everything,” made her orchestral debut at age 16 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Recently, she has performed at Alice Tully Hall, the Library of Congress, the Kissingen Sommer Festival, and the National Concert Hall in Taiwan. Chien frequently performs with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. She is a prize winner of the World Piano Competition, Harvard Musical Association Award, and the San Antonio International Piano Competition.
Dr. Chien currently serves as the director of the Chamber Music Institute at Music@Menlo, the co-artistic director of the Lake Champlain Music Festival, and the co-artistic director of Chamber Music Northwest. She is an artist-in-residence at Lee University, as well as a Steinway Artist.
For more information on String Theory or to purchase tickets, call 414-2525 or visit //stringtheorymusic.org/.
Dr. Gloria Chien