Artistic Directors: David Finckel and Wu Han

Cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han are thrilled to announce the launch of Chamber Music Today, a new chamber music festival that will take place annually in Seoul, South Korea.  The inaugural festival will run December 10-13, 2011 at the IBK Chamber Hall of the new Seoul Arts Center. One of the first festivals of its kind established in the Far East, Chamber Music Today will play a vital role in Korea's burgeoning chamber music scene, presenting the world's most esteemed artists. In its inaugural season, Chamber Music Today will welcome two world-class string quartets, each representing the pinnacle of their generation. The nine-time Grammy-award winning Emerson String Quartet will begin the festival with two performances followed by the Jupiter String Quartet, recent recipients of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, who will perform a concert with Chamber Music Today Artistic Director Wu Han. The festival will close with a performance featuring Artistic Directors David Finckel and Wu Han, joined by Emerson String Quartet violinist Philip Setzer.

About the inaugural festival, David Finckel and Wu Han commented: 

"Chamber music is the music of friends. It is an international language that brings people together, and is, at the same time, one of the richest art forms on earth. Chamber Music Today will bring the greatest chamber music repertoire and performers to S. Korea.  In every concert, we will hear why chamber music has become an exciting, personal and essential experience for audiences around the world.  We look forward not only to performing for S. Korea's audience, but also to watching our music form unbreakable bonds of friendship between musicians and listeners. It will be a delight to witness this extraordinary project blossom, as we share in the magical power of chamber music - truly the greatest music of today."

Chamber Music Today is sponsored by LG Uplus Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of LG Corp.

DATES & PROGRAMS

Dec. 10 - Benefit Concert: Emerson String Quartet with Wu Han

Venue: Maple Hall at Seoul Plaza Hotel, Seoul, Korea

Time: 7 p.m.  By invitation only.

Program: Works by Mozart, Mendelssohn and Schumann

Dec. 11 - Emerson String Quartet

Venue: IBK Chamber hall at Seoul Arts Center

Time: 5 p.m.

Program:  

Mozart: String Quartet No. 23 in F, K. 590 

Beethoven: String Quartet No. 16 in F, op. 135 

Dvorak: Sting Quartet No. 13 in G, op. 106 

Dec. 12 - Jupiter String Quartet with pianist Wu Han

Venue: IBK Chamber Hall at Seoul Arts Center

Time: 8 p.m.

Program:  

Mozart: String Quartet No. 16 in E flat, op. 428 

Ravel: String Quartet in F  

Dvorak: Piano Quintet, Op. 81  

Dec. 13 - David Finckel, Wu Han, Philip Setzer

Venue: IBK Chamber Hall at Seoul Arts Center

Time: 8 p.m.

Program:  

Mendelssohn: Cello Sonata No. 2 in D Major, op. 58 

Mendelssohn: Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, op. 49  

Schubert: Piano Trio No. 1 in B flat, D. 898, op. 99  

ABOUT THE ARTISTIC DIRECTORS 

The Festival's Artistic Directors David Finckel and Wu Han are two of today's most esteemed and influential classical musicians. Their appearances currently take them to the world's most prestigious concert series and festivals as soloists, as a duo, and, in David Finckel's case, as a member of the Grammy Award-winning Emerson String Quartet. In addition, they are the creators of classical music's first musician-directed and Internet-based recording label, ArtistLed, a trendsetting industry innovation that will soon release its 13th recording. Together, David Finckel and Wu Han have a unique ability to envision and realize innovative projects, be it in the recording arena with ArtistLed, on the world's great concert stages, or as directors of esteemed arts institutions. In recent years, David Finckel and Wu Han have become widely recognized for their initiatives in expanding audiences for classical music and for guiding the careers of countless young musicians. In 2003, they founded Music@Menlo, the internationally acclaimed chamber music festival and institute that is held each summer in the San Francisco Bay area. In recognition of their widespread contributions to the field of chamber music and their artistic excellence both on and off the stage, David Finckel and Wu Han were also appointed Artistic Directors of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in 2004. Recent international initiatives have included the establishment of residencies in Mecklenburg, Germany; Taipei, Taiwan; Wigmore Hall in London; and an innovative teaching and performing residency with the LG-Lincoln Center Chamber Music School in Seoul, South Korea. For more information, visit www.davidfinckelandwuhan.com.

ABOUT THE SEOUL ART CENTER CHAMBER MUSIC HALL 

Chamber Music Today will be held at the new Seoul Arts Center, the largest multi-purpose performing arts center in South Korea. Chamber Music Today will officially open the Center's IBK Chamber Hall,a new venue ideally suited for chamber music performances.  Sponsored by IBK, Chamber Hall has been under construction for the last 2 years and is scheduled for completion later this year. The hall's seating capacity is 632.

TICKETS & INFORMATION 

PRESS INQUIRIES 

For further press information on Chamber Music Today, please contact:

Milina Barry PR

212-420-0200   office@milinabarrypr.com

This press release is available online at http://www.milinabarrypr.com/news.html 

Photographs may be downloaded here:   http://www.davidfinckelandwuhan.com/Site/photos.html