Emerson String Quartet to Open 22nd Season of Wooster Chamber Music Series

WOOSTER, Ohio - The Wooster Chamber Music Series will open its 22nd season with a performance by members of the Emerson String Quartet and Wu Han, pianist, on Sunday, Oct. 1, at 3 p.m. in Gault Recital Hall of Scheide Music Center (525 E. University St.). The group, which will be making its 19th appearance in the series, will present Mozart's Divertimento for String Trio in E Flat Major, K 563, and Brahams' Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor, op. 25. Admission is $10 for general seating and $8 for students and senior citizens. Tickets are available at the Wilson Bookstore in Lowry Center (1189 Beall Ave.) and at Maurer Pharmacy (1827 Cleveland Rd.).

As one of the world's foremost chamber ensembles, the Emerson is internationally acclaimed for its "insightful performances, brilliant artistry, and technical mastery." The ensemble has a long list of achievements, including six Grammy awards, a Smithson Award from the Smithsonian, and the Avery Fisher prize in 2004 - a first for a chamber ensemble. Today, the ensemble is lauded globally 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 American poet and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson. Violist Lawrence Dutton and cellist David Finckel along with violinists Eugene Drucker and Philip Setzer comprise the ensemble, but Han will replace Dutton, who has taken a leave of absence following shoulder surgery. Despite an ambitious national and international performance schedule, the Emerson always takes time each year to participate in the Wooster Chamber Music Series, primarily because of its long relationship with the series' late founder Ted Williams.

In addition to its active performance schedule, Emerson joined Stony Brook University as Quartet-in-Residence in 2002. The ensemble also continues its educational affiliation with Carnegie Hall in a workshop focusing on quintets by Brahms and Dvoràk.

For additional information about the season-opening concert, phone 330-263-2115. The next concert in the Wooster Chamber Music Series will be Sunday, Nov. 5, when Borealis Wind Quintet performs in Gault Recital Hall of Scheide Music Center.