Arete Quartet Takes Third Place at Bordeaux Competition, First Korean Team to Win an Award

The Arete Quartet, a string quartet, became the first Korean string quartet to win third place at the 11th Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition, which concluded on May 24 (local time), according to the Kumho Cultural Foundation on May 26.

The Arete Quartet receives a third-place prize of 5,000 euros (approximately 7.77 million KRW), along with additional benefits such as the opportunity to participate in classes at the Saint-Jean-de-Luz/Sevreux Ravel Academy.

The Bordeaux Competition was founded in 1999 by cellist Alain Meunier and Bernard Lummeaux. It is held every three years for young string quartets whose members are under the age of 35. Since 2020, the Modigliani Quartet has served as the competition’s artistic director. The competition evaluates each ensemble’s individuality and musical interpretation by requiring performances of classical repertoire by composers such as Haydn, Schubert, Beethoven, and Mozart, as well as commissioned works by contemporary composers.

From the left, Eunjoong Park, Chaean Jeon, Yunseon Jang, Sunghyun Park
[Photo by Kumho Cultural Foundation]

Now in its 11th edition, the Bordeaux Competition has gained international renown by producing world-class string quartets such as the Belcea Quartet (first prize in 1999) and the Ebene Quartet (second prize in 2003). Among previous prize-winning teams, Korean members include cellist Kim Kihyun of the Parker Quartet (first prize in 2005) and violinist Koo Young-eun of the Ellipse Quartet (second prize in 2013).

This year, 33 teams from 32 countries participated in the Bordeaux Competition, with 10 teams advancing to the finals. Through the first round and semifinals held from May 19 to 23, three finalists, including the Arete Quartet, were selected. The finals took place on May 24 at the Bordeaux National Opera House. The Arete Quartet performed Mozart’s String Quartet No. 19 “Dissonance,” Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 8 “Rasumovsky,” and the competition’s commissioned piece, Krzysztof Marcatta’s “Amedea - Girl’s Face.” First prize went to Opus 13 (Norway), and second prize was awarded to the Terra String Quartet (USA).

The Arete Quartet, formed in September 2019, consists of Chaean Jeon and Eunjoong Park (violins), Yunseon Jang (viola), and Sunghyun Park (cello). That same year, they passed the Kumho Concert Audition unanimously and debuted at the 2020 Kumho Young Chamber Concert, establishing themselves as a leading next-generation ensemble in the Korean chamber music scene. They became the first Koreans to win first prize and five special prizes at the 2021 Prague Spring International Music Competition, received a special prize at the 2022 Munich ARD International Competition, won first prize and the Best Interpretation Award at the 2023 Mozart International Competition, and took first prize at the 2024 Lyon International Chamber Music Competition, achieving remarkable results on the international stage each year.

Currently, the quartet is studying under Jaeyoung Kim, leader of the Novus Quartet, the Ebene Quartet, Christoph Poppen, and Eberhard Feltz, while enrolled in the chamber music program at the Munich University of Music and Performing Arts.

This year, the Arete Quartet is serving as the resident ensemble at Kumho Art Hall. Since 2013, Kumho Art Hall has selected resident musicians to provide young artists with performance opportunities, but this is the first time a string quartet has been chosen. The Arete Quartet is scheduled to perform four times as resident musicians this year, with their second performance set for May 29. Additional concerts are planned for September 4 and November 13.

In November, the quartet will release their first official album and embark on a domestic recital tour to commemorate the release. The album will feature the Arete Quartet’s signature Czech repertoire, including the complete string quartets of Janacek and works by Suk.

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