Segerstrom Center to Welcome the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, 4/15

The renowned Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center returns to Segerstrom Center for the Arts in a remarkable program titled Passionate Piano Quartets, pairing three works by Schumann, Brahms and the rarely performed Mahler Piano Quartet, which is the composer's only surviving instrumental chamber work, written while still a teenager. Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center is soon embarking on a North American tour that will include 11 cities and their visit to Segerstrom Center on April 15 in Samueli Theater will be the quartet's sole West Coast appearance.

The artists from The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center include pianist Wu Han, violinist Daniel Hope, violist Paul Neubauer and cellist David Finckel. The Wall Street Journal states, "While many orchestras, concert series and opera companies across the U.S. - from the New York City Opera to the Syracuse Symphony - have reduced their presence or shut down entirely, the venerable Chamber Music Society has been expanding its activities at a dizzying pace. Since taking over the organization in 2004, the husband and wife team of cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han has forged it into an unstoppable entity - an exploding star in the musical firmament. Its directors seem incapable of anything but success."

Cellist David Finckel notes the overwhelming musical chemistry when performing alongside with friends and colleagues Neubauer and Hope. He says, "We all realized that we simply had to do more together, so we'll be bringing to you three romantic piano quartets. It is a program thrilling to both play and hear, and we promise an unforgettable experience."

Tickets for Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center start at $29 and are now available online at SCFTA.org, at the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling (714) 556-2787. The TTY number is (714) 556-2746. There will be a free Preview Talk by musicologist and author Herbert Glass at 7:15 p.m. in Samueli Theater.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts applauds the Colburn Foundation for its support of the Chamber Music Series. Kia is the Official Automotive Partner of the Center and United Airlines is the Official Airline of the Center. Classical KUSC is the Media Partner of the Chamber Music Series.

Co-artistic director of the Chamber Music Society, cellist David Finckel, named Musical America's 2012 Musician of the Year, leads a multifaceted career as a concert performer, recording artist, educator, administrator and cultural entrepreneur that places him in the ranks of today's most influential classical musicians. He has been hailed as a "world class soloist" (Denver Post) and "one of the top ten, if not top five, cellists in the world today" (Nordwest Zeitung, Germany). As a chamber musician, he appears extensively with duo partner pianist Wu Han and in a piano trio alongside Emerson Quartet violinist Philip Setzer. Finckel served as cellist of the nine-time Grammy® Award-winning Emerson String Quartet for 34 seasons.

British violinist Daniel Hope has toured the world as a virtuoso soloist for 25 years. He is renowned for his musical versatility and creativity and for his dedication to humanitarian causes. An exclusive Deutsche Grammophon artist since 2007, he has earned numerous Grammy nominations, a Classical BRIT award, the Deutsche Schallplattenpreis and six ECHO Klassik Prizes. He regularly directs chamber orchestras as violin soloist including the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Camerata Salzburg and Lucerne Festival Strings. He has been Associate Artistic Director of the Savannah Music Festival since 2004.

Violist Paul Neubauer's exceptional musicality and effortless playing distinguish him as one of his generation's quintessential artists. This past April, he gave the world premiere of a new viola concerto by Aaron Jay Kernis with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, followed by performances with the Chautauqua Symphony and the Idyllwild Arts Orchestra. This consortium commission culminates this season with his Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra debut with conductor Jeffrey Kahane. Appointed principal violist of the New York Philharmonic at age 21, he has appeared as soloist with more than 100 orchestras including the New York, Los Angeles and Helsinki philharmonics; National, St. Louis, Detroit, Dallas, San Francisco and Bournemouth symphonies; and Santa Cecilia, English Chamber and Beethovenhalle orchestras. He performs in a trio with soprano Susanna Phillips and pianist Anne-Marie McDermott, with a wide range of repertoire including salon style songs and has performed with the Chamber Music Society since 1985.

Co-artistic director of the Chamber Music Society, pianist Wu Han, named Musical America's 2012 Musician of the Year, ranks among the most esteemed and influential classical musicians in the world today. She has risen to international prominence through her wide-ranging activities as a concert performer, recording artist, educator, arts administrator and cultural entrepreneur. In high demand as a recitalist, concerto soloist and chamber musician, Wu Han has appeared at many of the world's most prestigious venues and performs extensively as duo partner with cellist David Finckel. In addition to her distinction as one of classical music's most accomplished performers, Wu Han has established a reputation for her dynamic and innovative approach to the recording studio. In 1997, Wu Han and Finckel launched ArtistLed, classical music's first musician-directed and Internet-based recording company, whose catalogue of 16 albums has won widespread critical acclaim.