Artist Spotlight | Joel Link

In celebration of Dover Quartet‘s latest album, Cedille is proud to feature the ensemble’s first violinist, Joel Link, in our Artist Spotlight series. Joel’s love of chamber music has taken him to highly regarded music festivals across the globe, including the Ravinia and Marlboro music festivals, as well as Music from Angelfire. As a member of the Dover Quartet, Joel has recorded four albums with Cedille including the ensemble’s critically acclaimed Beethoven string quartet cycle. Joel also appeared as a violist on Cedille’s 2009 album, The Billy Collins Suite: Songs Inspired by his Poetry.

Read below to learn more about Joel’s personal ties to Beethoven’s Op. 59 string quartets, featured in the newly released second installment of the 3-part cycle.

I can still vividly remember the first time I ever heard the Op. 59 String Quartets live in a concert. I was about 13 years old, and I was completely blown away. It was love at first sight. I remember being amazed by the complexity of the works, the depth of their emotional scope, and the sheer brilliance and virtuosity of all the players involved. For me, Beethoven’s middle quartets are still truly among the greatest pieces of music ever written.

Having the opportunity to record these works has always been a dream — a very big and daunting dream, as well as a great privilege. The process hasn’t come without its surprises — I never imagined that I would be recording some of these works during a worldwide pandemic! When I think back to meaningful performances and moments in my life, I realize that the Beethoven Quartets have very often played an important role in these, whether directly or indirectly. I am deeply grateful to all that the these works have given me, and I’m so excited to share it with you!

Beethoven Complete String Quartets, Volume 2 — The Middle Quartets is now available! To learn more about the project and purchase, click below.