Esmé Quartet

William Andrews Clark Memorial Library

Our Saturday Morning series combines full performances of chamber music works with unique insights, humor, history, and juicy backstory from Dr. Robert Greenberg, who is marking his 25th anniversary as our esteemed Music Historian-in-Residence this season.

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Esmé Quartet with Robert Greenberg

War Memorial and Performing Arts Center

Praised for their warm sound and powerful stage presence, the Esmé Quartet was formed in 2016 at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz in Cologne, Germany by four musicians who were already friends and shared common interests and passions in music, the arts, and life.

California Institute of Technology

Guest Artists visit SFCM to share their expertise with student musicians.

Esmé Quartet String Quartet Seminar

San Francisco Conservatory of Music

The Esmé Quartet, one of the world’s most watched young ensembles, is celebrated for its depth and maturity, as noted by the Süddeutsche Zeitung. Formed in 2016 at the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne, Germany, the quartet comprises four musicians who have been friends since their youth: Wonhee Bae and Yuna Ha on violin, Dimitri Murrath on viola, and Ye-Eun Heo on cello. The ensemble has rapidly gained a worldwide reputation for its exceptional artistry and achievement, winning the prestigious Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition in 2018, along with several other accolades.

The Esmé Quartet is acclaimed for its spellbinding dynamics, stylistically assured interpretations, and precision ensemble playing. Their performances are known for their warm sound and powerful stage presence, bringing together four distinct musical personalities into a cohesive, close-knit group passionately dedicated to the string quartet repertoire. The ensemble has performed at renowned venues and festivals worldwide, including the Lucerne Festival, Wigmore Hall, and the Aix-en-Provence festival, among others.

Their program features a rich selection of works, including Mozart's String Quartet in D Major, K. 575, Ligeti's String Quartet No. 1, and Schubert's String Quartet in G Major, D. 887. These pieces showcase the quartet's ability to navigate a diverse range of musical styles with depth and precision. The Esmé Quartet continues to captivate audiences with their compelling performances and dedication to the art of the string quartet.

Based in Germany, the acclaimed Esme Quartet has swiftly garnered global acclaim as a chamber ensemble of exceptional artistry and achievement. Founded in 2016 in Cologne by four Korean musicians who have been friends since their youth, the quartet has been praised for its warm sound and powerful stage presence. United by a shared passion for music and the arts, the quartet brings together the performers’ brilliant and distinct musical personalities to form a cohesive, close-knit group that is passionately dedicated to delivering unified and fervent performances.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts

St. John the Evangelist Church

Winners of the 2018 Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition, the Esmé Quartet has quickly gained a reputation as one of the most dynamic and multi-faceted string quartets of its generation. Its PCMS debut program opens with the lighthearted sophistication of Haydn’s Joke Quartet followed by Mendelssohn’s Beethoven-influenced Quartet in A Minor and Brahms’s masterful first foray into quartet writing.

Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

Join us for a pre-concert presentation with tidbits and insights on the concert from Dr. Holly Roberts.

CM@B Pre-concert Lectures: Esmé Quartet with Yekwon Sunwoo

Frohnmayer Marabel B Music Building

Esmé – borrowed from an old French word meaning ‘being loved‘ – is a German-based group, comprised of four Korean musicians who share a passion for music, the arts, and life. The Quartet is joined by pianist Yekwon Sunwoo, Gold Medalist at the fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

Esmé Quartet with Yekwon Sunwoo

Beall Concert Hall

Chamber Music Tuesday with Esmé Quartet

Bowes Center

Guest Artists visit SFCM to share their expertise with student musicians.  

Chamber Music Masterclass: Esmé Quartet

Based in Germany, the award-winning Esmé Quartet was formed by four Korean musicians who had been friends since childhood and has since gained a worldwide reputation as a chamber ensemble of exceptional artistry and achievement. Praised for their warm sound and powerful stage presence, the quartet brings together the performers’ brilliant and distinct musical personalities to form a cohesive, close-knit group that is passionately dedicated to the string quartet repertoire.

Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center

Based in Germany and popular throughout Europe, this young prize-winning Korean quartet is making their North American debut concert tour.

Sunset Center Theater

Praised for their warm sound and powerful stage presence, the Esmé Quartet was formed by four Korean musicians who had been friends since childhood. Their incredible talent and strong musical personalities form a cohesive, close-knit group that is passionately dedicated to the string quartet repertoire. With recent performances at the Lucerne Festival, Wigmore Hall, and the 2018 Aix-en-Provence Festival, this young ensemble is definitely one to watch!

In the short time since winning fi rst prize and sweeping four of the special prizes at the 2018 Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition in London, the <a>Esmé Quartet</a> has made a sensational entrance into the string quartet world, performing at renowned concert halls and festivals around the world, and has been named the fi rst Artists-in-Residence at the Lotte Concert Hall, in Seoul, South Korea. Based in Germany, the quartet was formed in 2016 at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln (Cologne), Germany, and is comprised of four Korean musicians who were already friends and shared common interests and passions in music, the arts, and life. The name of the quartet—Esmé—is borrowed from an old French word meaning “<em>beloved</em>.”

Experience the remarkable ESMÉ QUARTET on Thursday, April 16, 2026, at Libby Gardner Concert Hall on the University of Utah campus. Part of our 60th Anniversary Season.

Esmé Quartet

Apr 16, 2026

Esmé Quartet

Oct 26, 2025

Esmé Quartet

Sep 27 - Dec 13, 2025

Esmé Quartet with Robert Greenberg

Esmé Quartet