01.05.2022

SPOTLIGHT ON: Esmé Quartet

The four musicians with South Korean roots, who live in Germany and are united by many years of friendship, studied with Heime Müller (Artemis Quartet) in Lübeck and are currently students of Oliver Wille (Kuss Quartet) in Hanover. Apart from important artistic impulses received from Günter Pichler (Alban Berg Quartet), Alfred Brendel, Eberhard Feltz, András Keller, Christoph Poppen and Jonathan Brown, winning the Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition and four of its special awards in 2018 was among the milestones of their joint career so far.

Their success at this important competition became the launchpad for worldwide concert activities, from the United States to the major European music centres and Asia, where the quartet’s prestigious residency at the Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul last season was a great success. Future highlights include not only extensive American and Japanese tours, but also invitations to (return to) Europe’s great stages in London, Paris and Vienna, as well as three concerts at the 2023 Hong Kong Arts Festival. There, they will perform John Adams’ concerto Absolute Jest for string quartet and orchestra, accompanied by the venerable Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.

In its concerts, the Esmé Quartet, whose name is derived from ancient French for “beloved”, is celebrated for its infectious energy and perfect ensemble playing. This has led them to several collaborations with renowned guest artists, such as Eckart Runge, the cellist of the great Artemis Quartet for many years.

We are delighted that the Esmé Quartet is among the first chamber music ensembles to join the Machreich Artists family, and we look forward to many future highlights with this extraordinary string quartet!