Music@Menlo Appoints New Artistic Directors

Cellist Dmitri Atapine and pianist Hyeyeon Park will succeed the founding directors as of the 2027 season

The Music@Menlo festival and institute, founded in 2003 by cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han, has now appointed its new artistic directors as of its 2027 and 25th anniversary season. 

Cellist Dmitri Atapine and pianist Hyeyeon Park will succeed Finckel and Han, who will both transition out of the role after the 2026 summer season.

As frequent artists with Music@Menlo since 2009, Atapine and Park have directed the Music@Menlo Smith Family Young Performers Program since 2020, and before that, were long-time faculty members of the program.

The couple also performs regularly at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, where Atapine is an alum of its Bowers Program. 

In addition to their independent music careers, Atapine and Park are artistic directors of the Friends of Chamber Music Kansas City, founders and directors of Apex Concerts in Reno, and are tenured professors at the University of Nevada.

A top prizewinner at the Carlos Prieto, Vittorio Gui, and Plowman competitions, Atapine has recorded works on Naxos, Bridge, MSR, Albany, Blue Griffin, and Urtext Digital. A doctoral graduate of the Yale School of Music, he studied with Alexander Fedortchenko, Suren Bagratuni, and Aldo Parisot.

Park has performed with orchestras including the Seoul Philharmonic, SAC Festival Orchestra, Gangnam Symphony, and Incheon Philharmonic. She has also commissioned and premiered works by Lowell Liebermann, Libby Larsen, Patrick Castillo, Ezra Laderman, and more. Park holds degrees from KNUA, Yale, and a doctorate from the Peabody Conservatory.

“Words cannot fully express how honored we are to embark on this extraordinary journey,” shared Atapine and Park. “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.”

“Dmitri and Hyeyeon exemplify the integrity, excellence, and innovation that have defined Music@Menlo from the start,” said Finckel and Han. “They are the ideal stewards to guide Music@Menlo into its next chapter as it celebrates 25 years of artistic achievement.”

“We are excited to welcome Dmitri and Hyeyeon as Artistic Directors starting with the 2027 season,” added search committee chair Brenda Woodson. “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.”