Arete Quartet and Pianist Son Minsu Perform 'Shostakovich Quintet'

Second Regular Concert Showcases Major Works of Shostakovich
Minsoo Son Collaborates in Shostakovich Piano Quintet Performance

The string quartet Arete Quartet will hold its 2nd regular concert on December 1st at 7:30 PM at the IBK Chamber Hall in the Seoul Arts Center.

Arete Quartet. [Photo by Mok Production]

Arete Quartet gained attention in the music world by winning first place in the string quartet category at the Mozart International Competition held last February, and becoming the first Koreans to win first place and sweep five special awards in the string quartet category at the 2021 Prague Spring International Music Competition.

Currently active mainly on the European stage based in Germany, Arete Quartet will present a program featuring major works by Shostakovich, known as the New Testament of the string quartet, at this concert.

The performance will be further enhanced by the collaboration with world-renowned pianist Son Minsu, who was recently appointed as a professor at the New England Conservatory (NEC) in the United States after teaching at the Korea National University of Arts. This is their first time performing together in an official concert.

The first part opens with "Shostakovich String Quartet No. 3 in F major," composed during World War II. This piece expresses the inner pain and despair experienced by humans.

Following this, they will perform "Shostakovich String Quartet No. 8 in C minor," one of the 15 string quartets left by Shostakovich and the most beloved. It uniquely interprets the sorrow and despair Shostakovich endured under World War II and Stalin's oppression.

In the second part, pianist Son Minsu will join Arete Quartet to perform "Shostakovich Piano Quintet in G minor." The "Piano Quintet" is one of Shostakovich's most highly regarded works, expressing his reverence for Bach.

Tickets for Arete Quartet's 2nd regular concert "Shostakovich" are 60,000 KRW for R seats and 40,000 KRW for S seats, and can be purchased through the Seoul Arts Center and Interpark Ticket.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.