DAVID FINCKEL AND WU HAN

BIOGRAPHY

DAVID FINCKEL & WU HAN
2006/2007 Short Biography - 423 words

Cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han rank among the most esteemed and influential classical musicians in the world today. The talent, energy, imagination and dedication they bring to their multi-faceted endeavors as c oncert performers, recording artists, educators, artistic administrators and cultural entrepreneurs, go unmatched. Their duo performances take them to some of the most prestigious venues and concert series across the United States, including San Francisco Performances, Stanford Lively Arts, New York's Lincoln Center and 92 nd Street Y, Washington's Kennedy Center, Smithsonian Institute, and Dumbarton Oaks, Wisconsin's Union Theater, Milwaukee's Pabst Theater, UCLA's Performing Arts Series, the University of Chicago's Mandel Hall, Princeton University Concerts, the University of Iowa's Hancher Auditorium, the Cleveland Chamber Music Society, New Orleans Friends of Chamber Music, Santa Barbara's UCSB Arts and Letters, and Aspen's Harris Concert Hall.

The duo's international engagements have taken them to Mexico, Canada, the Far East, Scandinavia and continental Europe to unanimous critical acclaim. Highlights from recent seasons include their debuts in Germany and at Finland's Kuhmo Festival, their presentation of the complete Beethoven cycle in Tokyo, and their signature all-Russian program at London's Wigmore Hall.

David Finckel and Wu Han's wide-ranging musical activities also include the launch of ArtistLed, the first musician-directed and Internet-based recording company.  All nine ArtistLed recordings have received critical acclaim and are available via the company's Web site at www.artistled.com. The duo's “Russian Classics” recording, featuring works by Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, and Shostakovich, received BBC Music Magazine 's coveted "Editor's Choice" award. The two newest additions to the ArtistLed catalogue include a concerto recording by David Finckel featuring Dvorak and August Read Thomas's Ritual Incantations (world premiere), and the cello sonatas of Johannes Brahms.

In recognition of their widespread contributions to the field of chamber music and their artistic excellence both on and off stage, David Finckel and Wu Han were named Artistic Directors of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in 2004. They are also the founders and Artistic Directors of Music@Menlo, a chamber music festival in Silicon Valley that has garnered international acclaim since its inception in 2003. Prior to launching Music@Menlo, Wu Han and David Finckel served for three seasons as Artistic Directors of SummerFest La Jolla.

For many years, David Finckel and Wu Han taught alongside the late Isaac Stern at Carnegie Hall and the Jerusalem Music Center. They appear annually on the Aspen Music Festival's Distinguished Artist Master Class series, and in various educational outreach programs across the country. David Finckel and Wu Han reside in New York with their twelve-year-old daughter Lilian.

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