A Classic Power Couple

On Friday evening, a large crowd of students, faculty and classical music enthusiasts filed into the Bowld auditorium to watch the cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han perform. Voted Musical America’s 2012 musicians of the year, Finckel and Han came to Exeter with high acclaim: The Wall Street Journal has called them “America’s power couple of chamber music,” and they have performed across the world, from Mexico to Korea to Saint Petersburg, Russia.  At Exeter, the couple performed works by Bach, Shostakovich, Grieg and Beethoven, ranging from delicate melodies to thundering sonatas.As part of the Gilbert Concert Series, funded by former Academy trustee Clint Gilbert ‘47 and his wife Jane, Finkel and Han’s performance is a gift from alumni for students to experience live music. Music instructor Rohan Smith called the experience an “incredible privilege.” To him, it was very important to bring “talented musicians” to work with and play for students in person. “We search for artists who have a unique appeal to different sections of the community. That way we are giving students a cross-section of the different kinds of music,” Smith said.

“I would say that for our community, this concert was a world-class experience.”

Many students involved with music programs on campus came to the performance. Lower Dylan Yin, an avid saxophonist, enjoyed the couple’s skilled collaboration. “During the performance, they both made constant eye contact and were constantly listening to each other, allowing them to play perfectly in sync with tempo, dynamics and feeling,” he said.Even students who were inexperienced in the realm of classical music praised the performance. Lower Ella Parsons, who noted that she hadn’t been to many classical concerts, said that she found Finckel and Han’s music “dynamic” and “engaging.”  Smith also mentioned the widespread appeal of the concert. “I invited a few students who weren’t really music people, mostly into popular music rather than classical, and they were so blown away by the communication and expression,” Smith said. “I would say that for our community, this concert was a world-class experience.”Students—especially those who are experienced musicians—admired the musical skill of Han and Finckel. Yin respected Han’s musical knowledge, which Han demonstrated when she explained the program at the beginning of the concert. “It was clear that Wu Han knew which pieces went well with others, and the program was balanced and highlighted many different time periods and styles of great music,” Yin said.Prep Hojun Lew was very impressed by the couple’s musical ability, complementing Finckel’s mastery of the cello. “David Finckel made the music come alive,” he said. Prior to the performance, Lew also had the privilege of attending Finckel’s “master class,” when Finckel and Han instructed a group of Exeter’s best budding musicians about accentuating the nuances in their pieces. Lew appreciated the advice that Finckel gave. “He showed us how to make the music continuous and to make it flow. To cut out all the unnecessary sound that doesn’t add anything to the music.”Lew also commended Finckel’s ability to understand the background of the music and to play with that knowledge in mind. “He taught us to know the history of the music, to know what the composer was thinking to convey the composer’s emotion when we, the quartet played the piece,” Lew said.Smith thought that one of the best aspects of Finckel and Han’s performance was the opportunity it provided for the Exeter community to become more interested in classical music. “[This performance] can cause someone to fall in love with music and stay in love for the rest of their lives, which is why we bring these people here, to give students this experience,” he said.