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.