Anton Webern — Langsamer Satz (‘Slow Movement’)

Felix Mendelssohn — String Quartet No. 2 in A major, Op. 13

Jack Frerer— Spiral Sequences

Claude Debussy — String Quartet in G minor, Op. 1

Eloquent. Spellbinding. Monumental. Exquisite. How else can we describe the Esmé Quartet? Based in Germany, this ensemble launched its international career by winning first prize at the 2018 International String Quartet Prize at London’s Wigmore Hall. The Quartet then embarked on a whirlwind year of concerts in North America, Hong Kong and Japan.

Esmé comes from the medieval French word for ‘beloved’. The Esmé Quartet is one of the most dynamic and multifaceted string quartets of its generation, winning over audiences and critics with its infectious energy and immaculate ensemble playing. The Quartet’s spectacular success at the 2018 Wigmore Hall Competition was the forerunner of notable appearances at festivals including Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, the Verbier and Schleswig-Holstein, and a residency at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence.

For its Australian debut the Quartet plays works which are the epitome of youth: an early work of Webern overflows with romantic invention, while Mendelssohn’s second String Quartet blazes with the heart-on-sleeve emotion of a teenage genius; and emerging Australian composer Jack Frerer’s Spiral Sequences is an exhilarating roller-coaster ride. Add to this Claude Debussy’s only string quartet, brimming with rhythmic and harmonic exuberance.

Wonhee Bae | Violin

Yuna Ha | Violin

Dimitri Murrath | Viola

Yeeun Heo | Cello