Emerson Quartet violinist Philip Setzer is the new artistic director of string chamber music, while cellist Si-Yan Darren Li has been promoted to programme director

Setzer-Li for email

Philip Setzer © Jurgen Frank 

Si-Yan Darren Li 

Emerson Quartet violinist Philip Setzer is to begin his new role as artistic director of string chamber music at Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM). Fellow faculty member cellist Si-Yan Darren Li has been promoted to programme director; together, Li and Setzer will work in partnership to empower student artistry.

Setzer enjoyed studying with many great teachers during his years as a student, including prominent artists such as Josef Gingold, Oscar Shumsky, Robert Mann and Rafael Druian, ’Without the mentorship, coaching and collaboration of those musicians and many more, I would not be where I am today. I want to hand down that legacy to CIM’s students, and I look forward to working in partnership with Si-Yan to create unparalleled chamber music experiences at CIM’. A native to Cleveland, Setzer spent his childhood immersed in the music of the Cleveland Orchestra, of which both his parents were members. Setzer has served as visiting faculty at CIM since 2018 and was appointed to full faculty earlier this year. He also serves as professor of violin at Stony Brook University.

Since joining the CIM faculty in 2017, cellist Li has coached string quartets to top prizes in the Banff, Bordeaux, Melbourne and Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competitions, as well as the grand prize in the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition.

The chamber music program at CIM has produced international touring collaborative artists, medal winners in the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, multiple Grammy Awards, and ensemble members including those in the Miró Quartet, Dalí Quartet, Project Trio, Silkroad Ensemble and Callisto Quartet. CIM President & CEO Paul W. Hogle stated, ’With the addition of Phil Setzer and the promotion of Si-Yan Darren Li, we will further leverage our strengths – our distinguished faculty, master classes with visiting artists and our conservatory students themselves – to raise the chamber music bar even higher for CIM students’

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