Dec. 01, 2025(Mon)
Arete
Quartet, School of Music, Releases Its First Album, “Janáček & Suk”
Arete Quartet, a
string quartet consisting of alumni from the Department of Instrumental Music
at the School of Music, has released its first official album, “Janáček &
Suk,” with Platoon, under Apple Music. While the digital album was first
released worldwide online on the 19th, the physical album will be available by
late December.
Arete Quartet is a
young ensemble whose members are, on average, 27 years old. Formed in 2019, the
group debuted the following year at the Kumho Prodigy Concert. Since then, they
have made a name for themselves through a series of successes in prestigious
international competitions, including the Prague Spring International Music
Competition (2021), the International Mozart Competition Salzburg (2023), and
the Lyon International Chamber Music Competition (2024).
This album
includes String Quartet No. 1 “Kreutzer Sonata” and String Quartet No. 2
“Intimate Letters” by Leos Janáček, as well as “Meditation on Old Bohemian
Chorale ‘St. Wenceslas,’ Op. 35a” by Josef Suk, both Czech composers. This
recording is a compilation of the quartet’s artistic journey centered on
Czechoslovak music, which began in 2021, the year they became the first Korean
string quartet to win first prize at the Prague Spring International Music
Competition, and continued through this year, when they took second prize at
the Banff International String Quartet Competition. The album, presenting Arete
Quartet’s reinterpretation of the Czech national spirit in a contemporary
context through Janáček and Suk, represents the culmination of a musical bond
that flourished in Czechoslovakia.
Jeon Chae-ann,
first violin, said, “At the Prague Spring International Music Competition, our
first appearance in an international contest, we won both first and special
prizes. The moment was dramatic for us, as it was the only competition left
uncancelled among all concours we had applied for due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Janáček’s ‘Kreutzer Sonata’ was the piece we played in the final round at that
time, so we always talked about recording such a meaningful work for our first
album.”
“We believe we are
at a turning point, moving on to our next chapter. That also led us to release
this album to define our identity through music,” explained cellist Park
Seong-hyeon.
Arete Quartet is
currently on a national concert tour to mark the release of the album. The
tour, which began at KAIST Auditorium in Daejeon on November 7, continued at
Nuri Hall, Gimhae Arts & Sports Center in Gimhae on November 27, at IBK
Chamber Hall in Seoul Arts Center on November 29, and will conclude at
Tongyeong Concert Hall in Tongyeong on December 6.
