Chamber Music Society Of
“This irrepressible husband and wife team has initiated a quiet revolution in music often regarded as too rarefied to attract a large following. They are changing that perception.” – Musical America
In 2004, David Finckel and Wu Han were appointed Artistic Directors of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS), one of eleven constituents of the largest performing arts complex in the world, The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. With its home in Alice Tully Hall, CMS is known for the extraordinary quality of its performances and its programming, and for setting the benchmark for chamber music worldwide. Through its many performance, education, recording, and broadcast activities, it brings the experience of great chamber music to more people than any other organization of its kind.
In their capacity as Artistic Directors, David and Wu Han have created new initiatives that inspire artists and transform the chamber music experience for audiences around the globe:
- The performing artists constitute a revolving multi-generational and international roster of the world’s finest musicians, enabling CMS to present chamber music of every instrumentation, style, and historical period.
- Annual activities include a full season in New York, as well as national and international tours.
- During the 2018-19 season, 130 musicians from 19 countries perform with CMS in 150 NYC performances, in residencies, and on tour to four continents.
- CMS continues its leadership position in the digital arena, reaching hundreds of thousands of listeners around the globe each season with live streaming of over 25 concerts and educational events per year and more than 600 hours of performance and education video available free to the public on its website.
- a 52-week public radio series across the US, radio programming in Taiwan and Shanghai, appearances on American Public Media, and CMS performances are featured on Sirius XM radio’s Symphony Hall channel.
- As CMS approaches its 50th anniversary season in 2019-2020 under David and Wu Han’s leadership, education and global access remain integral parts of its mission.