Artistry, Mastery, Vision:
“The most exciting American string quartet of its generation.” –The New York Times
“The one indispensable quartet in a world that is constantly creating more, excellent ensembles” –Newsday
“Cool, objective and dazzlingly virtuosic” –Gramophone

Learning from the Masters
As Quartet-in-Residence at Stony Brook University, the world-renowned Emerson String Quartet brings nothing less than magic to the University’s Music Department. Their extraordinary talent and teaching enrich a department that has long enjoyed a reputation for excellence and has in fact received the highest rating for its doctoral program in music.¹ Their legendary performances at Stony Brook’s Staller Center for the Arts light up the region. And in countless ways the Emerson String Quartet’s vision and commitment change the lives of the students who study with them.

At Stony Brook, Quartet members Eugene Drucker and Philip Setzer (violins), Lawrence Dutton (viola), and David Finckel (cello) coach students in the chamber music program and conduct master classes. All students in the program will have the opportunity to participate in the Emerson String Quartet Chamber Music Festival on campus each spring. The spectacular two-day event, open to the public, showcases performances by student and student-faculty chamber ensembles.

The Emerson String Quartet is one of the world’s foremost chamber ensembles whose impressive list of achievements includes a brilliant series of recordings exclusively released by Universal Classics/Deutsche Grammophon since 1987, six Grammy Awards including two for Best Classical Album, and complete cycles of the Bartok, Beethoven and Shostakovich string quartets in the major concert halls of the world. They have been celebrated internationally as a string quartet that approaches both classical and contemporary repertoire with equal mastery and enthusiasm.

Formed in 1976, the Emerson String Quartet took its name from the American poet and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson. The Quartet has performed numerous benefit concerts for causes ranging from nuclear disarmament to the fight against AIDS. The Quartet has been featured in The New York Times Magazine, USA Today, Elle, Bon Appetit, The Strad and Strings. Television appearances include PBS’s News Hour with Jim Lehrer, WNET’s City Arts, and A&E’s Biography of Beethoven and Breakfast with the Arts. The Quartet is based in New York City.

Members:

Eugene Drucker (Violin)
Philip Setzer (Violin)
Lawrence Dutton (Viola)
David Finckel (Cello)