Lawrence Dutton

Bio

Lawrence Dutton, longtime violist of the nine-time Grammy Award–winning Emerson String Quartet, is celebrated for his artistry and expansive discography of more than fifty recordings. In February 2026, Four Rational People, a documentary chronicling the ensemble, premiered in New York and Los Angeles.

Over the course of his distinguished career, Mr. Dutton has collaborated with many of the world’s most eminent artists, including Isaac Stern, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emanuel Ax, Yefim Bronfman, Renée Fleming, André Previn, and Joshua Bell. He has appeared as a guest artist with leading ensembles such as the Juilliard, Guarneri, Pacifica, and Calidore String Quartets, as well as with renowned piano trios including the Beaux Arts Trio and the Kalichstein–Laredo–Robinson Trio.

Since 2001, he has served as Artistic Director of the Hoch Chamber Music Series. His recordings include collaborations with bassist John Patitucci for Concord Jazz and performances with the Beaux Arts Trio on Philips; a recording with Jan DeGaetani at the Aspen Music Festival was nominated for a Grammy Award.

As a soloist and chamber musician, Mr. Dutton has appeared with orchestras throughout the United States and Europe and is a frequent guest of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. He has performed at major festivals including Aspen, Santa Fe, Ravinia, La Jolla, Music@Menlo, Chamber Music Northwest, and the Rome Chamber Music Festival. With the late Isaac Stern, he collaborated in the International Chamber Music Encounters at Carnegie Hall and in Jerusalem.

Mr. Dutton is Distinguished Professor at Stony Brook University and Distinguished Artist at the McDuffie Center for Strings, where he will become Artistic Director of the Fabian Series in the 2026–27 season.

He and his colleagues in the Emerson String Quartet have received honorary doctorates from several institutions, including The Juilliard School (2024).

He performs on Thomastik Spirocore strings and a viola crafted in 2025 by Samuel Zygmuntowicz.