Emerson String Quartet
| Company type | String quartet ensemble |
|---|---|
| Industry | Classical music |
| Founded | 1976 |
| Defunct | 2023 |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | International |
Key people | Eugene Drucker, Philip Setzer, Lawrence Dutton, Paul Watkins, David Finckel (former) |
| Products | Recordings, live performances |
Number of employees | 4 (members) |
| Website | www |
The Emerson String Quartet, often referred to simply as the Emerson Quartet, was an American string quartet established at the Juilliard School in 1976. Taking its name from the American poet and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson, the ensemble embarked on its professional touring career the same year. During the 1980s, it held residencies at The Hartt School, followed by a later tenure at Stony Brook University. A unique aspect of the group was that both founding violinists, who had studied under Oscar Shumsky at Juilliard, alternated between first and second violin roles.
In 2010, the Emerson Quartet was inducted into the Classical Music Hall of Fame. Over their career, they released more than thirty recordings and secured nine Grammy Awards, as well as receiving the distinguished Avery Fisher Prize in 2004. The Emerson String Quartet Institute was founded in 2017 within Stony Brook University's College of Arts and Sciences, providing a platform for current members and former cellist David Finckel to guide emerging student quartets.
The ensemble announced in August 2021 that they would conclude their activities following the 2022–2023 season to concentrate on educational endeavors and individual projects. Their closing concerts spanned venues in North America and Europe, culminating in a final performance on October 22, 2023, in New York City. This farewell program featured Beethoven’s Op. 130 string quartet with its original finale, the Grosse Fuge, Op. 133, alongside Schubert’s String Quintet D. 956. The event was recorded for an upcoming documentary.
Members
At the time of disbandment, the quartet consisted of Eugene Drucker and Philip Setzer on violin; Lawrence Dutton on viola (since 1977); and Paul Watkins on cello (since 2013). Earlier members included Guillermo Figueroa, Jr. (viola, 1976–1977), Eric Wilson (cello, 1976–1979), and David Finckel (cello, 1979–2013).
History
During the early 1980s, Deutsche Grammophon selected the Emerson Quartet to inaugurate a series of string quartet recordings for the then-new CD format. Cellist David Finckel described this opportunity as a "major breakthrough," which allowed the ensemble to cultivate an international following.
Instruments
In addition to their collection of Stradivarius instruments, the Emerson Quartet owns violins crafted by Samuel Zygmuntowicz, which are preferred in larger halls due to their enhanced projection capabilities. Violinist Eugene Drucker has remarked that in venues such as Carnegie Hall, his Zygmuntowicz violin delivers greater volume compared to his Stradivarius.
Awards and recognition
Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance:
- 1989 – Bartók: Six String Quartets
- 1993 – Ives: String Quartets Nos. 1 and 2; Barber: String Quartet Op.11 (American Originals)
- 1997 – Beethoven: The String Quartets
- 2000 – Shostakovich: The String Quartets
- 2005 – Mendelssohn: Complete String Quartets
- 2006 – Intimate Voices
- 2009 – Intimate Letters
Grammy Award for Best Classical Album:
- 1989 – Bartók: Six String Quartets
- 2001 – Shostakovich: The String Quartets
Gramophone Classical Music Awards:
- 1989 Chamber (Record of the Year) – Bartók: String Quartets Nos. 1–6
- 2000 Chamber – Shostakovich: Complete String Quartets (Nos. 1–15)
The quartet also served as Music Directors for the Ojai Music Festival in 2002 and performed on the Oscar-nominated short film The Little Matchgirl (2006). Their accolades include the Avery Fisher Prize and induction into the Classical Music Hall of Fame in 2010. In January 2015, they were honored with the Richard J. Bogomolny National Service Award, regarded as the highest distinction in classical chamber music.
Recordings
- Volume I – Dvořák: Quartet No. 12 in F, Op. 96 "American"; Smetana: Quartet No. 1 in E "From My Life" (1990) Book of the Month Records
- Volume II – Brahms: Quartet No. 1 in c minor, Op. 51; Schumann: Quartet in A major, Op. 41, No. 3 (1990) Book of the Month Records
- Volume III – Borodin: Quartet No. 2 in D major; Tchaikovsky: Quartet No. 1 in D, Op. 11 (1990) Book of the Month Records
- Volume IV – Debussy: Quartet in g minor, Op. 10; Ravel: Quartet in F major (1990) Book of the Month Records
- Piston: Concerto for String Quartet, Winds, and Percussion (1990) Composers Recording Inc
- Cowell: Quartet Euphometric; Harris: Three Variations on a Theme (Quartet No. 2) (1990) New World
- Imbrie: Quartet No. 4; Schuller: Quartet No. 2 (1990) New World
- Beethoven: Quartet in F major, Op. 135; Schubert: Quartet in G major, D. 887 (1990) Deutsche Grammophon
- Dvořák: Quartet No. 12 in F, Op. 96 "American"; Smetana: Quartet No. 1 in E major, "From My Life" (1990) Deutsche Grammophon
- Debussy: Quartet in g minor, Op. 10; Ravel: Quartet in F major (1990) Deutsche Grammophon
- Tchaikovsky: Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 11; Borodin: Quartet No. 2 in D major (1990) Deutsche Grammophon
- Mozart: Quartet in B-flat major, K. 458 "Hunt"; Quartet in C major, K. 465 "Dissonance"; Haydn: Quartet in C major, Op. 76, No. 3 "Emperor" (1990) Deutsche Grammophon
- Brahms: Quartet No. 1 in c minor, Op. 51; Schumann: Quartet in A major, Op. 41, No. 3 (1990) Deutsche Grammophon
- Beethoven: Quartet in f minor, Op. 95; Schubert: Quartet No. 14 in d minor, D. 810 "Death and the Maiden" (1990) Deutsche Grammophon
- Bartók: Complete String Quartets (1990) Deutsche Grammophon
- Mozart: The "Haydn" Quartets (complete) (1992) Deutsche Grammophon
- Mozart: The Flute Quartets, featuring Carol Wincenc (1992) Deutsche Grammophon
- Prokofiev: String Quartets Nos. 1 & 2 / Sonata for Two Violins (1992) Deutsche Grammophon
- Schubert: String Quintet in C major, D. 956, with Mstislav Rostropovich (1992) Deutsche Grammophon
- American Originals: String Quartets by Ives and Barber (1993) Deutsche Grammophon
- American Contemporaries: Works by Harbison, Wernick, and Schuller (1994) Deutsche Grammophon
- Dvořák: Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 87; Quintet in A major, Op. 81, with Menahem Pressler (1994) Deutsche Grammophon
- Mozart: String Quartets in G major, K. 387 and d minor, K. 421 (1995) Deutsche Grammophon
- Webern: Works for String Quartet and String Trio Op. 20 (1995) Deutsche Grammophon
- Schumann Piano Quintet Op. 44 / Piano Quartet Op. 47, with Menahem Pressler (1996) Deutsche Grammophon
- Beethoven: Complete String Quartets (1997) Deutsche Grammophon
- Beethoven: Key to the Quartets (1997) Deutsche Grammophon
- Meyer: String Quintet / Rorem: String Quartet No. 4, with Edgar Meyer (1998) Deutsche Grammophon
- Music of Curt Cacioppo: "Monsterslayer" (1998) Capstone Records
- Schubert: String Quintet and Late Quartets (1999) Deutsche Grammophon
- Mozart/Brahms: Clarinet Quintets, featuring David Shifrin (1999) Deutsche Grammophon
- Shostakovich: Complete String Quartets (2000) Deutsche Grammophon
- The Haydn Project (2001) Deutsche Grammophon
- The Emerson Encores (2002) Deutsche Grammophon
- Bach: The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 (2003) Deutsche Grammophon
- Haydn: The Seven Last Words of Our Savior on the Cross, Op. 51 (2004) Deutsche Grammophon
- Mendelssohn: Complete String Quartets (2005) Deutsche Grammophon
- Intimate Voices (2006) Deutsche Grammophon
- The Little Match Girl (2007) Disney
- Brahms: String Quartets’’ (2007) Deutsche Grammophon
- ’’Bach Fugues’’ (2008) Deutsche Grammophon
- ’’Intimate Letters’’ (2009) Deutsche Grammophon
- ’’Old World-New World’’ by Dvořák with Paul Neubauer (2010) Deutsche Grammophon
- ’’Mozart: The Prussian Quartets’’ (2011) Sony Classical
- ’’Journeys: Tchaikovsky and Schönberg’’ (2013) Sony Classical
- ’’Berg: Lyric Suite; Wellesz: Sonnets by Elizabeth Barrett Browning’’ (2015) Decca
- ’’Emerson String Quartet: The Complete DG Recordings’’ (2016), a collection of 52 CDs Deutsche Grammophon
- ’’Chaconnes and Fantasias – Music by Britten and Purcell’’ (2017) Decca
- ’’Schumann – String Quartets’’ (2020) PENTATONE