(Photo courtesy of CMNW)
Chamber Music Northwest (CMNW) presents cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han — a duo revered for both their musical prowess and artistic leadership. Playing together for the first time in Portland, the couple brings a lively program to The Old Church featuring three of Russia’s most well-known 20th century composers at 7:30pm on Thursday, February 6.
Concert Description
When it comes to the greatest chamber musician pairings, few can hold a candle to the incomparable powerhouse duo of the revered esteemed David Finckel and pianist Wu Han! Indefatigable titans of American chamber music as the artistic directors of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center since 2004, and Music@Menlo founders and artistic directors since 2002, this irrepressible husband and wife team who (like CMNW’s artistic directors) are rock stars of the chamber music world. Their exquisite lyricism, superb virtuosity, theatrical flair, and musical insight will make for an evening of simply unforgettable mid-century Russian music.
From Artistic Director Gloria Chien: “David Finckel and Wu Han are not only celebrated musicians, visionary leaders, and fierce entrepreneurs, but also trailblazers in establishing the chamber music artform and dedicated mentors to countless young musicians. More personally, they are two of the most special people in my life and biggest inspirations. My deeply fulfilling life in chamber music was profoundly shaped by my summers at the Music@Menlo Chamber Music Festival & Institute where they are the artistic directors. They always lead by example and show us that nothing is impossible. Now as CMNW’s artistic directors, Soovin and I are proud to welcome them back to Portland, and I know their presence and artistry will make a lasting impact on our community.”
Concert Program
NIKOLAI MYASKOVSKY (1881-1950) Cello Sonata No. 2 in A Minor, Op. 81
SERGEI PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Cello Sonata in C Major, Op. 119
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF (1873-1943) Cello Sonata in G Minor, Op. 19
Program Notes
Notes about each piece of music can be found on this page, and by clicking on the piece of music.
About The Musicians
Musicians
David Finckel, cello
Wu Han, piano
About the Duo
Cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han, Musical America’s Musicians of the Year, are among today’s most distinguished classical artists. Their careers encompass world-class performances, acclaimed recordings, and visionary artistic direction. From New York to concert halls across the US, Europe, and Asia, they captivate global audiences. Their repertoire includes classical standards, contemporary commissions, and nearly the entire chamber music literature for cello and piano. As artistic directors, they curate over 300 concerts annually. Finckel and Han founded ArtistLed in 1997, the first internet-based, artist-controlled classical recording label. With over 20 acclaimed releases, ArtistLed features both standard works and new repertoire.
Since 2004, Finckel and Han have been the artistic directors of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS), the world’s largest chamber music presenter. During their tenure, the organization has significantly expanded its reach, enhancing its offerings in performances, educational programs, and recordings. They produced over 270 digital events during the pandemic, sustaining chamber music communities nationwide. As founders and artistic directors of Music@Menlo since 2002, they have established the festival as a model of innovative programming and educational excellence.
Wu Han, born in Taiwan, serves as artistic advisor for Wolf Trap and the Society of the Four Arts. She was appointed artistic director of La Musica in Sarasota in 2022. David Finckel, originally from New Jersey, was the first American student of Mstislav Rostropovich and is the former cellist of the Grammy Award-winning Emerson String Quartet. He currently teaches at The Juilliard School and Stony Brook University.
Artist’s Website
“There was a sense of absolute certainty in the way cellist and pianist completed each other’s sentences, yet their long familiarity with each other’s musical responses did not rob their performances of freshness, spontaneity or directness…this was deep, life-giving music. The playing of both was polished, even breathtakingly virtuosic.”
— Chicago Tribune
Chamber Music Northwest 2024/25 Season
Flex Pass (5 tickets): $175-$337.50
40 & Under: $100
18 & Under: $50
Single Tickets
Range: $35-$67.50
40 & Under: $20
18 & Under: $10
Discount Priced Tickets
Senior Rush: $30 (at the door)
Arts Industry Rush: $20 (at the door)
Arts for All: $5 (advance/at the door)
2024/25 Season Highlights
- Europe’s most acclaimed and prestigious ensemble, the superb Hagen Quartet
- — The Old Church, Thursday, February 27 @ 7:30pm
- Electrifying violinist Soovin Kim scaling a violinist’s Everest with Bach’s Complete Solo Violin sonatas and partitas over two separate concerts
- — The Old Church, Thursday, April 3 & Saturday, April 5 @ 7:30pm
- Special Event: A celebration of Japanese-American heritage featuring actor, author, and activist George Takei’s My Lost Freedom, with music by Kenji Bunch & Andy Akiho. This event is neither a part of CMNW’s regular season, nor currently on sale.
- — Portland Japanese Garden, Saturday, May 31 @ 7pm
Upcoming 2024/25 Concerts
String Quartet
Hagen Quartet: Pinnacle of Musicality
VENERATED AUSTRIAN STRING QUARTET COMES TO PORTLAND
Thursday, February 27 • 7:30pm
The Old Church Concert Hall
Like American 21st century superstars, the Emerson Quartet, Europe’s Hagen Quartet has attained an unparalleled position among the finest chamber ensembles in the world. Declared “the pinnacle of musicality” (Die Presse) their European preeminence is resolute. Comprised of siblings Lukas, Veronika, and Clemens Hagen, with violinist Rainer Schmidt, this four-decades-strong Austrian sensation has performed throughout the world and amassed a storied discography of nearly 50 acclaimed recordings. For those who love the best-of-the-best, you’ll not want to miss one of the greatest string quartets of our time in this rare U.S. appearance, right here in Portland!
“One of the finest quartets of our time…”
— The Washington Post
“After more than four decades of collaboration between its members, the Hagen Quartet truly sounded like a single musician with eight arms and four bows.”
— Seen and Heard International
Concert Program
HAYDN String Quartet in A Major, Hob. III:60, Op. 55, No. 1
HAYDN String Quartet in B-flat Major, Hob. III:62, Op. 55, No. 3
R. SCHUMANN String Quartet No. 3 in A Major, Op. 41, No. 3
Learn More About The Musicians & Concert Details
SOLO VIOLIN
Soovin Kim: Bach’s Complete Solo Sonatas & Partitas
TWO CONCERT EVENINGS OF INCREDIBLE SOLO VIOLIN WORKS
Part 1: Thursday, April 3 • 7:30pm
Part 2: Saturday, April 5 • 7:30pm
The Old Church Concert Hall
CMNW Artistic Director Soovin Kim will perform the Mount Everest for a violinist: Bach’s complete Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin, over two concert evenings.
When the world shut down in 2020, one of the first musicians in the nation to step onto a stage to share desperately needed music with the world was our own artistic director, acclaimed violinist Soovin Kim. CMNW streamed his monumental performance of Bach’s complete Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin from Massachusetts’s majestic Jordan Hall for thousands of home-bound viewers. Now, it is finally our honor and privilege to have him perform them LIVE! This will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, a marathon performance over two concert evenings, of some of Bach’s most moving works…and by CMNW’s own violinist extraordinaire.
“Whenever Kim plays, the music climbs another level.”
— Oregon ArtsWatch
Bach’s Tremendous Technique & Style | Part 1
This first concert includes Bach’s spirited Partita No. 3 in E Major and his technically challenging Sonata No. 2 in A Minor in the first half, then his spiritually and emotionally powerful Partita No. 2 in D Minor, with its beloved Chaconne, that closes the evening’s program.
Part 1 Concert Program
J.S. BACH Violin Partita No. 3 in E Major, BWV 1006
J.S. BACH Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Minor, BWV 1003
J.S. BACH Violin Partita No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1004
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MUSICIAN & PART 1 CONCERT DETAILS
Bach’s Melodic & Harmonic Brilliance | Part 2
This second evening’s concert begins with Bach’s deeply resonant Sonata No. 1 in G Minor and his dance-inspired Partita No. 1 in B Minor, followed by the magnificent and inventive Violin Sonata No. 3 in C Major for the concert’s finale.
Part 2 Concert Program
J.S. BACH Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Minor, BWV 1001
J.S. BACH Violin Partita No. 1 in B Minor, BWV 1002
J.S. BACH Violin Sonata No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1005
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MUSICIAN & PART 2 CONCERT DETAILS
SPECIAL EVENT
Lost Freedom: A Memory with George Takei
A CMNW & PORTLAND JAPANESE GARDEN COLLABORATION
Saturday, May 31 • 7pm
Portland Japanese Garden
Inspired by autobiographical accounts of the incarceration of Japanese-American citizens in World War II, Lost Freedom: A Memory weaves together music and spoken word in a profound exploration of a chilling time in American history. Actor, author, and activist, George Takei (Star Trek), narrates his own story as one of the citizens forced from their homes and made to live in desolate camps thousands of miles away. Set to music by Oregon composer Kenji Bunch, this poignant program will also include music by Oregon’s Japanese-American composer/percussionist Andy Akiho.
Lost Freedom: A Memory is a co-presentation with Portland Japanese Garden, and is part of a weekend-long festival remembering and celebrating the rich legacies of Portland’s Japanese and Vanport communities through visual art, music, theater, and dance, in collaboration with the Japanese American Museum of Oregon, Resonance Ensemble, and The Vanport Mosaic.
NOTE: Lost Freedom: A Memory is not currently on sale. CMNW subscribers and Portland Japanese Garden members will receive a special invitation to purchase tickets at a later date.
Learn More About The Musicians & Concert Details
About Chamber Music Northwest:
Now in its 55th season, Chamber Music Northwest serves more than 25,000 people annually in Oregon and SW Washington with exceptional chamber music through over 100 events annually, including our flagship Summer Festival, year-round concerts, community activities, educational programs, broadcasts, and innovative collaborations with other arts groups. CMNW is the only chamber music festival of its kind in the Northwest and one of the most diverse classical music experiences in the nation, virtually unparalleled in comparable communities.
Chamber Music Northwest’s mission is to inspire our community through concerts and events celebrating the richness and diversity of chamber music, performed by artists of the highest caliber, presenting our community with exceptional opportunities for enjoyment, education, and reflection. Chamber Music Northwest is led by Artistic Directors Gloria Chien and Soovin Kim, and Executive Director Peter Bilotta.
Over the past five decades, Chamber Music Northwest has engaged an incredible range of musicians, composers, board members, staff, volunteers, and audiences from diverse backgrounds, heritages and lived experiences whose contributions have been a vital part of who we are today. CMNW exists to offer listeners and musicians musical encounters that inspire collective appreciation and joy. We will endeavor to use the power of our musical programming and educational programs to include myriad of cultures and perspectives, to embrace every generation, and magnify a broad variety of artistic voices. In actively doing this work to enrich our entire community, we make our stand against hate and discrimination, create opportunities that make meaningful and lasting change, and ensure a multitude of musical voices are elevated, heard, and celebrated.
Chamber Music Northwest embraces the artistry of each individual, and believes that unique cultural heritages and myriad of backgrounds are profound strengths to be celebrated, both in our musical family and in our community at large. We stand firmly against, will not tolerate, and condemn discrimination, bigotry, and violence directed at any persons, or groups of people, based on their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identification, country or nation of origin, physical or intellectual ability.
We value all members of our community and will actively work to dismantle systems of exclusion and discrimination. While we will stumble and fail, we will continually strive to embrace, promote, present, commission, engage, and perform the music of an infinite variety of voices of artists, cultures, heritages, traditions, histories, and imaginations to express the universal power to move the human heart and inspire connection through music. Though we will fall short, and will never do enough to right the wrongs of systemic racism and other forms institutionalized discrimination in our culture and art form, we commit ourselves to elevating the work of musicians and composers who are Asian, Black, Latinx, Indigenous, women, LGBTQIA, or of intersectional or other underrepresented identities, to match the emphasis placed on classical music’s historically traditional artists.
Chamber Music Northwest is an international leader in celebrating chamber music’s enduring relevance and diversity, with more than 100 commissions and premieres of new works as well as its Protégé Project, which cultivates the next generation of dynamic chamber music performers by supporting exceptional, early-career chamber musicians and composers in their professional development. In June 2022, Chamber Music Northwest (CMNW) launched the Young Artist Institute (YAI), an intensive education program for 16 talented string players from around the world, ages 14-18. The three-week YAI program includes a faculty of esteemed musicians and teachers. This groundbreaking program also includes a Collaborative Piano Fellowship for two international pianists.