Cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han are assuring the future of Music@Menlo with the same excellence and integrity that they have cultivated in the Bay Area for more than two decades since founding their unique chamber festival in 2003.
First, Finckel and Wu Han gave two-year notice of their retirement when they shared last week that they would be stepping away from Menlo after the 2026 season. Then, almost immediately, the couple announced their successors, tapped to take over the festival in 2027, Menlo’s 25th season.
The pair are handing the artistic directorship to a similar married couple: cellist Dmitri Atapine and pianist Hyeyeon Park. Continuity is also maintained by the performers’ Menlo connections, management careers, and even their “international” biographies.
Wu Han is from Taiwan, Park is from South Korea, Finckel is from far-away New Jersey, and Atapine was born in Russia and spent time in Spain before coming to the U.S. at age 18.
About management experience: Finckel and Wu Han have led a number of organizations and festivals, including the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Atapine and Park are artistic directors of the Friends of Chamber Music in Kansas City; founding directors of Apex Concerts in Reno, Nevada; and tenured professors at the University of Nevada, Reno.
The Menlo connection is perhaps the most important aspect of continuity. The future artistic directors first came to the festival some two decades ago and since 2009 have returned as featured artists and faculty members. They have directed the festival’s vital Young Performers Program since 2020.
The transition in artistic leadership follows another major change at Menlo — in 2024, Executive Director Edward Sweeney retired after a 17-year tenure, succeeded by John Robinson.
“Words cannot fully express how honored we are to embark on this extraordinary journey,” said Atapine and Park in a joint statement.
“We are humbled to follow in the groundbreaking footsteps of David Finckel and Wu Han. Music@Menlo is a magical place, and we are committed to giving back to the organization that has profoundly shaped us as chamber musicians and artistic leaders.
“We are deeply aware of the monumental legacy we will inherit and are committed to continuing Music@Menlo’s tradition of excellence and belief in the transformative power of chamber music.”
Finckel and Wu Han said, “Dmitri and Hyeyeon exemplify the integrity, excellence, and innovation that have defined Music@Menlo from the start. They are the ideal stewards to guide Music@Menlo into its next chapter as it celebrates 25 years of artistic achievement.”
On behalf of the Music@Menlo board, Brenda Woodson, chair of the search committee, said, “We are excited to welcome Dmitri and Hyeyeon as artistic directors starting with the 2027 season. Well known and loved by the Music@Menlo community, they are truly gifted musicians and have demonstrated excellence in artistic leadership.
“Their passion for Music@Menlo’s mission — to present chamber music at the highest level of artistic excellence and to train future generations of musicians — makes them perfectly poised to lead the organization forward.”
