The Blackpink of classical music? Esmé Quartet makes Hong Kong debut

The all-female South Korean quartet makes waves in a traditionally male-dominated space and aims to discover overlooked women composers

Classical music may not seem as young, fresh or popular as K-pop, but Esmé, an all-female South Korean quartet, is being hailed as the Blackpink of their genre. This came about when the musicians appeared on a game show in 2020 and were challenged to play a piece of classical music as a group with each member wearing headphones blasting K-pop in their ears. This performance, which was perfectly synchronised despite the distraction the challenge presented, went on to become a viral hit on YouTube.

Before becoming Esmé in 2016, Wonhee Bae (first violin), Yuna Ha (second violin), Jiwon Kim (violin) and Ye-eun Heo (cello) were university friends in Germany. Since then, they have performed at major international festivals, including Lucerne Festival in Switzerland and Festival d'Aix-en-Provence in France.

In 2018, they performed at the prestigious Wigmore Hall in London, England and won first prize at the International String Quartet Competition. They also won first prize at the 55th Possehl Musikpreis in Lübeck, Germany. Esmé has also received recognition closer to home and were made first Artists in Residence for the 2020/21 season at the Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul, South Korea. And considering they have achieved all this in such a short amount of time and in a largely Caucasian and male-dominated field… it’s no wonder Esmé stands out as an all-female Asian group.

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After a yearlong postponement of their debut in the city due to pandemic restrictions, Esmé is set to perform at the Hong Kong Arts Festival (HKAF) next month. As well as providing live accompaniment for the play, The Book of Water, they will also hold two recitals where they will play Haydn, Borodin’s Second String Quartet and Schubert’s Death and the Maiden. There will also be a joint concert with the Hong Kong Arts Festival Chorus, the Hong Kong Children’s Choir and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.

Sadly, Kim had to pull out from the HKAF performances due to unforeseeable personal circumstances, but Hong Kong violist Born Lau will be taking her place. Ahead of the HKAF, Tatler had the opportunity to sit down with the other three Esmé Bae, Ha and Heo for a chat.

Above Esmé Quartet (Photo: courtesy of Sihoo Kim)

How did Esmé as a group come about?

Heo: Wonhee and I met while we were studying at the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne, Germany.

Ha: The two of them started playing together for Wonhee’s graduate recital, and then went on to take part in a small competition with another male second violinist. Then Wonhee decided that maybe they could start an all-female group.

Bae: I met Ha while we were both studying in Paris and invited her to be our second violinist. I thought it would be special to have an all-female Korean group based in Europe, especially when we were all studying together [at the time].

What does Esmé mean?

Bae: It means to love and be loved. We want our music to be loved, and we want the string quartet repertoire to be loved.

Ha: It’s from old French.

What made you want to form an all-female group?

Bae: The kind of enthusiasm we share is very special. We bond over the passion to achieve something great together. I wanted to feel the sisterhood, that’s why I felt like we needed to form an all-female group.

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This will be your first time here in Hong Kong, what are you looking forward to?

Bae: When I met people from Hong Kong in the US and in Europe, I always found them to be very warm and passionate, which is similar to our personalities. I have a feeling [we will] have a good connection with the local audience [as well as] whoever we encounter here. We’re very much looking forward to that kind of warmth and enthusiasm from the people, and [experiencing] the local culture.

Heo: I’m most looking forward to the food. I heard it’s really good.

What can Hong Kong audiences look forward to the most in your performance?

Bae: We’re playing Schubert’s Death and the Maiden, which is a favourite among string quartet lovers. We think it’s just the piece for our Hong Kong debut. Coincidentally, we have always performed this piece at our debut concerts elsewhere, such as in Tokyo recently and Seoul. It’s our speciality.

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Above Esmé Quartet (2018) (Photo: courtesy of Sihoo Kim)

Your violist unfortunately cannot make it to this trip. How do you feel about collaborating with a Hong Kong violist?

Bae: I [intentionally] didn’t look for a replacement from my country because music is more about how you’ve studied and trained, and what inspiration you have. Working with Born makes the experience more international; playing with him makes us [the new combination] homogenous.

Is classical music a popular career option in South Korea?

Bae: Definitely, almost all my friends studied at least one instrument from a very young age. While the popularity of western classical music in Korea declined during the Korean war [in 1910], it quickly picked up [after the end of the colonial period]. Koreans have always been fascinated with classical music, and this fascination continues in the younger generation. When I was growing up, I would watch Sarah Chang play Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with the Vienna Philharmonic. I was simply fascinated by this romantic and heartwarming side of classical music. It sparked my interest to play.

Did you find the music education in South Korea and Europe to be different?

Bae: In South Korea, there is not a department or programme for string quartets. You learn to be a soloist; you learn to play with accuracy, finesse and discipline. Conversely, in Germany, there is a dedicated string quartet programme, so we can focus on this genre of music that we want to play.

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As a group, how do you maintain your bond with each other?

Bae: We cook and eat together a lot. At the very beginning, we were trying to gain an international reputation, so we practised together almost every day. Nowadays, we deliver 60 concerts a year, which is a lot of concerts and a lot of travelling. Luckily, we enjoy travelling together.

That’s not unlike training to be a K-pop group. Do you see your quartet going in a similar direction?

Bae: I do see the discipline and effort that they put in to make their groups shine and be so coordinated. We are trying as hard to be [as cohesive].

What are your plans after HKAF?

Bae: We’re releasing our second album on February 23. That aside, we are interested in discovering new music compositions. We are living in the [moment and don’t want to] limit ourselves to playing only the repertoires that are 300 years old. In particular, we want to support living female composers. We feel that it’s our responsibility to discover those that haven't had the chance to be discovered.

Programme details:

Michel van der Aa: The Book of Water
February 24-25, Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall

A Music Journey between Two Cultures – Esmé Quartet in Korea and in Germany
February 27, Multi-Purpose Hall, Korea Cultural Center in Hong Kong

Dazzle—Esmé Quartet Recital
February 28, Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall

Voices of Hope and Togetherness—A Choral and Orchestral Gathering
March 4, Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre

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Topics

Esmé Quartet South Korean Music Classical music Hong Kong Arts Festival Debut Arts Performing Arts Culture Concert Recital Front & Female Diversity Asian

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The Blackpink of classical music? Esmé Quartet makes Hong Kong debut