It’s the end of an era for The Emerson String Quartet. The group, which has helped set the standard for chamber music, has announced today they will retire at the end of summer 2023.
For the past 47 years, the steadfast ensemble has become one of the most celebrated classical music quartets of all time.
While the news is sad, the Emerson’s legacy is assured with an enormous catalogue of recordings, nine GRAMMYs® (including two for Best Classical Album), and three Gramophone Awards.
Formed at Juilliard in 1976, the original line up consisted of Drucker, Setzer, violist Guillermo Figueroa, Jr. and cellist Eric Wilson. Lawrence Dutton joined the group in 1977, and cellist David Finckel became a member in 1979. Paul Watkins succeeded David Finckel in 2013.
What they’re saying… “Looking back on more than four decades of life in the Emerson String Quartet, it is with a mixture of pride and nostalgia that we announce our retirement at the end of the summer of 2023. In addition to the great music we’ve been privileged to share with audiences and with each other, it is the opportunity to connect with close friends that has meant the most to us over the years. Each city on our itineraries has had its own unique associations for us, giving atmosphere, texture and the all-important personal dimension to our recollections of the passing seasons. Presenters, managers, record label executives, colleagues and audience members have all played important roles in our experience. Now, as we contemplate our future careers, which will afford us the opportunity to continue performing as individuals and to pass the fruits of our experience on to younger generations of chamber players, we also wish to express our gratitude to all the instrumentalists, singers, composers, actors and directors with whom we have been honoured to collaborate.”
Last Season
The quartet’s final season tour will include stops in Pittsfield, MA; Charleston, SC; Wooster, OH; Houston, TX; Sandy Springs, GA; Chicago, IL; Sanibel, FL; Seattle, WA; San Francisco, CA; and Stony Brook University in New York. Additional dates of the Emerson Quartet’s final season will be announced later in the year.
The Emerson Quartet last appeared in Toronto on July 22, 2014, for the opening night of the Toronto Summer Music Festival.
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