Chamber music that flows like poetry
The New Yorker Magazine describes the Emerson String Quartet by saying, “The Emerson has the traditional string quartet virtues; each player is a strongly characterized individual, but the ensemble is temperamentally as well as sonically in balance. The four minds play upon each other, and the work, in perfect harmony; the players are in tune in all senses of the phrase.”
Formed in 1976, the Emerson String Quartet is named for the great American poet and philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Based in New York City, the quartet consists of violinists Eugene Drucker and Phillip Setzer, viola player Lawrence Dutton, and cellist David Finckel.
The quartet has made numerous television appearances, including PBS’s “News Hour with Jim Lehrer,” and A&E’s “Biography of Beethoven.” They have also been featured in the New York Times Magazine, USA Today, Elle, Bon Appetit, The Strad, and Strings. The ensemble has been the subject of two award-winning films.
With an international reputation of approaching both the classics and contemporary music with equal mastery and enthusiasm, the Emerson String Quartet makes the rounds at chamber music series and festivals worldwide. Recording since 1987 for Universal Classics/Deutsche Grammophon, the ESQ’s enthusiasm has been recognized with six Grammy Awards, including two unprecedented honors for best classical album.
Jeff Morgan, publicist for PSU’s School of Fine and Performing Arts, explains, “This is the greatest string quartet in the world. These guys are real stars.”
The 2002-2003 Friends of Chamber Music presents The Emerson String Quartet, performing Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 7-8 at 8 p.m. in Lincoln Performance Hall. Monday’s concert features performances of Haydn’s G minor Quartet, the B-flat minor Quartet by Shostakovich, and the D minor Quartet by Schubert. Tuesday night’s concert will feature the D Major Quartet by Haydn, Shostakovich’s C minor Quartet, and Mendelssohn’s A minor Quartet. On Oct. 8, the quartet will also perform at noon in Lincoln Hall, Room 75. Admission for the noon performance is free. Tickets are available through the PSU Ticket Office, 503-725-3307; or through Ticketmaster.
