As performers, David Finckel and Wu Han have never been content to rest on their laurels. Yes, if you look at the Emerson String Quartet website, (Mr. Finckel is their cellist), you see Haydn, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Brahms, etc. Same thing at one of Han and Finckel's websites, artistsled.com: Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Britten. However, you do not get the full scope of what they are doing unless you dig a little deeper. In this age of disappearing record companies, shrinking classical catalogs, and Public Radio stations abandoning classical music altogether, Wu Han and David Finckel are a growth industry.
Artists Led
In a 2006 article in The Independent, Robert Maycock quoted Han and Finckel as calling Artists Led "classical music's first musician-directed, internet-based recording company."Â They join the likes of Michael Nyman, Philip Glass, and the London Symphony in taking their recording future into their own hands. Their label allows musicians to "record what they want, the way they want, and to offer their records directly to the public."
Davidfinckelandwuhan.com
Hanging all of their collective hats on one hat rack, the dynamic duo has recently launched davidfinckelandwuhan.com, bringing the many facets of their artistic and professional endeavors to one site. You can find up-to-the-minute information on the duoâs concerts, recordings, pedagogy, and more, including an inside look at their activities with Music@Menlo, The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and the Emerson String Quartet. Special interactive features include news blog updates on the duoâs touring and myriad projects and initiatives; David Finckelâs âCello Talks,â? a comprehensive series of intimate, concise video cello lessons covering all aspects of cello playing; and âAsk David and Wu Han,â? a channel for the duoâs direct interaction with the online community. Additionally, the duo is morphing into a trio. Daughter Lilian, herself a talented pianist, is learning the "family business," as you'll see below in video from a recent Aspen Music Festival. So before you mourn the passing of art and culture in America, take a look at David Finckel and Wu Han, see what they're doing to further music composition and performance, then ask them what you can do to help. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpE-e8h1rak