Violinist Joel Link Appointed Concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra, Dover Quartet to Stay Together

Link is the founding first violinist of the Dover Quartet, which will stay together in its current configuration

The Cleveland Orchestra and its Music Director, Franz Welser-Möst, appointed violinist Joel Link as the Orchestra’s new Concertmaster. He will commence in the role on July 3, 2025. Link will hold the Blossom-Lee Concertmaster Chair, which was endowed by Mrs. John A. Lee in 1975.

Joel Link is a violinist with the VC Artist Dover Quartet, the Penelope P. Watkins Ensemble in Residence at the Curtis Institute of Music. The quartet has announced that they will continue to perform in their current configuration. Their violist, Julianne Lee, will be returning to the Boston Symphony Orchestra this summer in her position as Assistant Principal Second Violin

"With these changes, we've had a chance to think about the quartet's future and reflect on our very special personal and artistic bond," the quartet shared. "The truth is, we can't imagine not making music together. Today, we are overjoyed to announce that we are staying together in our current configuration: Joel, Bryan, Julianne, and Camden!

"We’re committed to playing chamber music at the highest level, without compromise," they added. "We’re committed to sustaining the passion, vibrancy, excitement, and (we hope!) musical excellence we share with you every time we take the stage. We will focus our performances in tour periods that allow us to balance our individual pursuits, while continuing to perform as the Dover Quartet at the highest artistic level. We’re proud to have undergone this period of introspection and emerged with an even deeper appreciation for the magic we create together. We can’t wait to see you on the road—and we’re so grateful to everyone who has been part of our journey."

An active soloist and chamber musician, Link has earned top prizes at numerous competitions, including the Johansen International Competition and the Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition.

With the Dover Quartet, Link won first prize and all special awards at the 2013 Banff International String Quartet Competition, as well as the gold medal and grand prize at the 2010 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.

Their recordings have received two GRAMMY nominations for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance, and the Quartet’s many accolades include the Avery Fisher Career Grant, Chamber Music America’s Cleveland Quartet Award, and Lincoln Center’s Hunt Family Award.

Link has performed with many of the most distinguished artists of recent decades, including Emanuel Ax, Marc-André Hamelin, Peter Serkin, Leon Fleisher, Leif Ove Andsnes, Edgar Meyer, Michael Tree, Avi Avital, and Ray Chen, appearing in major concert halls around the world.

A graduate of both the Curtis Institute of Music and Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, Link studied with renowned violinists Joseph Silverstein, Pamela Frank, and Frank Huang.

Link joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in 2020, and also teaches at Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music.