Friends of Chamber Music fan-favourite Han Finckel Setzer Trio returns to the Vancouver stage, February 18
The distinguished musicians will perform Haydn’s Piano Trio in A major, Beethoven’s Piano Trio in G major, and Dvořák’s Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor
Han Finckel Setzer Trio.
Friends of Chamber Music presents the Han Finckel Setzer Trio on February 18 at the Vancouver Playhouse
CELLIST DAVID FINCKEL and violinist Philip Setzer were members of the legendary Emerson String Quartet for more than 30 years. Over the past two decades, they have teamed up with pianist Wu Han (Finckel’s life partner) to form the Han Finckel Setzer Trio, earning global praise along the way.
The group has recorded the piano trios of Schubert, Mendelssohn, and Dvořák on the ArtistLed label (which Han and Finckel launched). With performances described by the Washington Post as “startlingly intimate”, the trio has also become a fan favourite of Vancouver’s Friends of Chamber Music. The organization presents a concert by the Han Finckel Setzer Trio on February 18 at the Vancouver Playhouse.
Steeped in American and Russian musical traditions, the musicians will perform Haydn’s Piano Trio in A major, HOB XV:18; Beethoven’s Piano Trio in G major, Op. 1, No. 2; and Dvořák’s Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor, Op. 90, “Dumky”.
Han and Finckel are past co-recipients of Musical America’s Musician of the Year Award. They are co-artistic directors of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in New York City and of California’s Music@Menlo.
Currently a distinguished professor of violin and chamber music at Stony Brook University in New York, Setzer also is on faculty and is the artistic director of Strings Chamber Music at the Cleveland Institute of Music. In 2024, he was appointed artistic director of the Manchester Music Festival in Vermont. He is the director of the Shouse Institute, the teaching division of the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival in Detroit.
Han serves as artistic advisor for Wolf Trap’s Chamber Music at the Barns series and for Palm Beach’s Society of the Four Arts and is artistic director of La Musica in Sarasota, Florida.
Finckel, meanwhile, is a professor at The Juilliard School and Stony Brook University. ![]()
Gail Johnson is cofounder of Stir. She is a Vancouver-based journalist who has earned local and national nominations and awards for her work. She is a certified Gladue Report writer via Indigenous Perspectives Society in partnership with Royal Roads University and is a member of a judging panel for top Vancouver restaurants.
Related Articles
At this year’s Vancouver International Jazz Festival, the two acclaimed trumpeters find unique ways of expressing the legend’s enduring influence
Marquee Series concert showcases the tenor saxophonist’s sonic innovation and Chicago roots, in homage to a true legend
Intriguing programming ranges from majestic Holst and Berlioz to a contemporary work dedicated to craft brews, plus a beachfront finale
The choir, which has shared stages with international superstars Alicia Keys and Chris Martin, closes its season with a concert titled Songs of Resilience
After a cancer diagnosis, the former CEO left the corporate world and finally fulfilled his lifelong dream of playing his favourite musical instrument
Joined by his ensemble, the expressive artist pairs songs off his latest album with music inspired by his involvement in a Miles Davis biopic
The festival will include the premiere of Imant Raminsh’s Where Wildness Lives, a choral work dedicated to the artistic director’s late father
Taking place at Canadian Memorial United Church, the event celebrates the strength cultivated through community
Lineup spans indie-rock band Grade School, rap artist Missy D, the Cedar & Sage Dancers, and beyond
Outdoor show on July 25, part of the larger fest, also features Big Rig and DJ Jody Glenham
Programming spans ticketed concerts, an outdoor community performance, masterclasses, and more
Marquee Series act is known for its ’70s-punk roots and ever-evolving sound
Taking place in the state-of-the-art Rock Theatre, program features the Borealis String Quartet, Juno Award–winning Gryphon Trio, and more
Otto Tausk conducts the orchestra, along with mezzo-soprano Rihab Chaieb and the Vancouver Bach Choir, in a symphony that has a lot of everything
Finale of the storied UBC venue’s 100th-anniversary celebrations features celebrated soprano Simone Osborne and bass-baritone Gordon Bintner
New York–based multi-instrumentalist, the child of legendary saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, is joined by their band and the Todd Stewart Trio
Performers at the 2026 edition include Uncle Strut, Felisha and the Jazz Rejects, Art d’Ecco, Brass Camel, Rich Hope, and many more
Artists hitting Jericho Beach Park range from Denmark’s Tina Dico and Ukraine’s Yagódy to Portland’s Anna Tivel and Jeffrey Martin
Event’s top works from across the country and the globe leap between juggling, circus, art installation, concert, and more
Artist Jasmine Chen relearns Mandarin and discovers lost family history in multidisciplinary, personal show
Reports are emerging that the musician, composer, and pillar of the Indigenous classical community passed away in car accident after father’s funeral in Northern Alberta
