In 1997, driven by the desire to produce recordings in an environment free from artistic and commercial restraints, David Finckel and Wu Han founded ArtistLed, classical music’s first musician-directed, Internet-based recording label. This innovative project has served as a model for numerous other independent, online-based recording companies throughout the classical music industry. The standard of artistic excellence insisted upon by the ArtistLed environment has resulted in universal audience and critical acclaim for the label’s twelve releases; Russian Classics, David Finckel and Wu Han’s recording of the sonatas for cello and piano of Rachmaninov, Shostakovich, and Prokofiev, received BBC Music Magazine’s coveted “Editor's Choice” award. In Time magazine, Terry Teachout hailed the duo’s ArtistLed Tchaikovsky release as “a performance that ranks among the great chamber music recordings of the postwar era.”
As the founders and creative directors of ArtistLed, David Finckel and Wu Han are controlling participants in every aspect of the recording process, from selecting the repertoire and recording venue to setting the sound, running the sessions, constructing the edits, and determining the final mix. The ArtistLed discography—produced at a clip of one full-length album per season—consequently combines the excitement and spontaneity of a live concert with the sonic and musical perfection expected of a studio recording.
AudioNotes
In 2003, under the auspices of ArtistLed, David Finckel and Wu Han launched AudioNotes, an innovative CD-based listener’s guide to the chamber music repertoire. AudioNotes are designed to prepare audiences for a rewarding listening experience, whether through recordings or in the concert hall.
Through discussion of cultural and historical context, highlighted by artist interviews, discussions with musicians and composers, and musical examples, AudioNotes CDs provide a richer musical experience for concertgoers and serve to educate all music enthusiasts. Since the series’ inception, AudioNotes CDs have been licensed for use by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Music@Menlo, and numerous concert series across the country that have presented David Finckel and Wu Han in recital. Lauding this unique endeavour, The New York Times praised David Finckel and Wu Han for “finding intelligent ways to inform audiences about music.”
