Editing Emerson String Quartet (section)

{{Short description|American string quartet}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox musical artist  <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| name                = Emerson String Quartet
| image               = The Emerson String Quartet 2014.jpg
| caption             = The Emerson String Quartet in 2014
| image_size          = 250px
| background          = classical_ensemble
| alias               = The Emerson Quartet
| origin              = [[New York City]], United States
| instrument          = 2 violins, 1 viola, 1 cello
| genre               = [[Classical music|Classical]]
| occupation          = [[String quartet]]
| years_active        = 1976–2023
| label               = [[Deutsche Grammophon]], [[New World Records|New World]], [[Sony Classical]]
| website             = {{URL|http://www.emersonquartet.com}}
| current_members     = Eugene Drucker<br>Philip Setzer<br>Lawrence Dutton<br>Paul Watkins
| past_members        = Guillermo Figueroa, Jr.<br>Eric Wilson<br>David Finckel
}}

The '''Emerson String Quartet''', also known as the '''Emerson Quartet''',<ref>Church, Michael.  [https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/classical/reviews/emerson-string-quartet-a8040936.html "Emerson String Quartet, St John’s, Smith Square, London, review: Thrilling performance of ineffable Beethoven fugue"], ''[[The Independent]]'' (November 6, 2017).</ref> was an American [[string quartet]] initially formed as a student group at the [[Juilliard School]] in 1976. It was named for American poet and philosopher [[Ralph Waldo Emerson]] and began touring professionally in 1976.<ref name="HOPE (2013)">{{cite web|title=Emerson String Quartet|url=http://hope.edu/arts/gps/1213/emerson_string.html|publisher=hope.edu|access-date=27 May 2014}}</ref> The ensemble taught in residence at [[The Hartt School]] in the 1980s and is currently the quartet in residence at [[Stony Brook University]].<ref name=HARTT>{{cite web|title=History of The Hartt School|url=http://harttweb.hartford.edu/about/history/default.aspx|publisher=hartford.edu|access-date=27 May 2014}}</ref> Both of the founding violinists studied with [[Oscar Shumsky]] at Juilliard, and the two alternated as first and second violinists for the group. The Emerson Quartet was one of the first such ensembles with the two violinists alternating chairs.<ref name="Switching Violinists">{{cite web|title=Emerson String Quartet|url=http://www.carnegiehall.org/Calendar/2014/10/14/0800/PM/Emerson-String-Quartet-Yefim-Bronfman/|publisher=Carnegie Hall|access-date=January 16, 2014}}</ref>

The Emerson Quartet was inducted into the [[American Classical Music Hall of Fame and Museum|Classical Music Hall of Fame]] in 2010.<ref name=CHOF>{{cite web|title=View Inductees: Emerson String Quartet|url=http://classicalwalkoffame.org/view-inductees/?id=38|publisher=classicalwalkoffame.org|access-date=27 May 2014}}</ref> {{As of|2014|5}}, they had released more than thirty albums and won nine [[Grammy Award]]s, as well as the prestigious [[Avery Fisher Prize]] in 2004.<ref name="SA (2014)">{{cite web|title=Emerson String Quartet|url=http://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/landing/emerson-string-quartet.aspx|publisher=smithsonianassociates.org|access-date=24 May 2014}}</ref><ref name="NPR (2010)">{{cite web|last=Huizenga|first=Tom|title=The Emerson Quartet At (Le) Poisson Rouge|website=NPR.org|url=https://www.npr.org/event/music/126163957/the-emerson-quartet-at-le-poisson-rouge|access-date=24 May 2014}}</ref><ref name="BOOK (2000)">{{cite book |last=Dischel |first=Robert S. |year=2000 |title=Converging Lines: The Extraordinary Story of the Emerson String Quartet's First 25 Years |location=London |publisher=Risk Waters Group |isbn=1-899332-68-5}}
</ref> In 2017, the Emerson String Quartet Institute became part of the College of Arts and Sciences at Stony Brook University. The institute enables members of the current quartet and the quartet's former cellist David Finckel to mentor and coach student string quartets.<ref>{{cite web | title=Emerson String Quartet Institute | website=Stony Brook University, New York | url=https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/music/academics/_graduate/esqi.php | ref={{sfnref | Stony Brook University, New York}} | access-date=2023-07-08}}</ref>

In August 2021, the quartet announced its plan to disband at the end of the 2022–2023 season in order to focus on teaching and solo work.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hernández |first1=Javier C. |title=Celebrated String Quartet Will Disband, Ending 47-Year Run |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/26/arts/music/emerson-string-quartet.html |access-date=4 September 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=26 August 2021}}</ref> In the final season of concerts in 2022-23, the quartet gave farewell performances throughout North America and Europe. The final performance of the quartet took place on Sunday, October 22, 2023, in New York City, featuring a program of Beethoven's Op. 130 string quartet (with its original ending, the [[Grosse Fuge]], Op. 133) and Schubert's [[String Quintet (Schubert)|String Quintet]] D. 956. The performance was filmed by Tristan Cook for a planned documentary.<ref>{{cite web | title=Announcing the Final Farewell concerts: October 21-22, 2023 | website=The Emerson Quartet | date=2023-07-05 | url=https://www.emersonquartet.com/news/announcing-the-final-farewell | ref={{sfnref | The Emerson Quartet | 2023}} | access-date=2023-07-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Emerson String Quartet: Farewell Performance | website=The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center | url=https://www.chambermusicsociety.org/nyc/events/upcoming/emerson-string-quartet-farewell-performance-sat/ | ref={{sfnref | The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center}} | access-date=2023-07-08}}</ref>