June 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, & 15 2024
Suntory Hall Chamber Music Garden
Verus String Quartet
The Beethoven Cycle Ⅰ- Ⅵ
Suntory Hall presents ‘Verus String Quartet – Beethoven Cycle’ as part of its annual festival, Chamber Music Garden (June 1 – 16). The performance of Beethoven’s string quartet cycle is now an established feature of the Chamber Music Garden festival, and it is considered a unique event even internationally. Every year, a different quartet is invited to take on the cycle. This year it is the turn of the accomplished Japanese quartet ‘Verus’. This Quartet formed in 2006, won the third prize at the ARD International Music Competition in 2008. It has performed at prestigious chamber music venues , and have collaborated with many renowned musicians including Menahem Pressler, Alexander Romanovsky, and Richard Stolzman.
This will be the group’s third Beethoven cycle, after recent cycles in Oita’s iichiko Culture Center and Tokyo’s Dai-ichi Seimei Hall. Also, a recording of the cycle is ongoing from the fontec label.
The sixteen quartets have been programmed over the six concerts in a well-balanced and thoughtful way, taking in account the key and movement structure, and compositional background. In particular, the five late period quartets will be performed in the order Beethoven composed them.
▼Details & Booking ▼ Biography
Verus String Quartet
Violin: Naoto Sakiya / Hisao Mihara
Viola: Koichi Yokomizo
Cello: Rentaro Tomioka
Details & Booking
Venue: Blue Rose (Small Hall)
Ⅰ Sat JUN 8 | 18:00 > Book Now
Beethoven: String Quartet
No. 2 in G Major, Op. 18, No. 2
No. 5 in A Major, Op. 18, No. 5
No. 12 in E-flat Major, Op. 127
Ⅱ Sun JUN 9 | 17:00 > Book Now
Beethoven: String Quartet
No. 9 in C Major, Op. 59, No. 3, “Razumovsky No. 3”
No. 15 in A Minor, Op. 132
Ⅲ Tue JUN 11 | 19:00 > Book Now
Beethoven: String Quartet
No. 4 in C Minor, Op. 18, No. 4
No. 10 in E-flat Major, Op. 74, “Harp”
No. 7 in F Major, Op. 59, No. 1, “Razumovsky No. 1”
Ⅳ Wed JUN 12 | 19:00 > Book Now
Beethoven: String Quartet
No. 6 in B-flat Major, Op. 18, No. 6
No. 13 in B-flat Major, Op. 130, “Grosse Fuge”
Ⅴ Thu JUN 13| 19:00 > Book Now
Beethoven: String Quartet
No. 1 in F Major, Op. 18, No. 1
No. 11 in F Minor, Op. 95, “Serioso”
No. 14 in C-sharp Minor, Op. 131
Ⅵ Sat JUN 15 | 18:00 > Book Now
Beethoven: String Quartet
No. 3 in D Major, Op. 18, No. 3
No. 16 in F Major, Op. 135
No. 8 in E Minor, Op. 59, No. 2, “Razumovsky No. 2”
Presented by Suntory Hall
Supported by Rohm Music Foundation
Biography
Founded by students of TOHO Gakuen School of Music in 2006, the Verus String Quartet is recognized as one of the most sought-after and promising young string quartets in Japan today.
In 2008, the Verus String Quartet won the 3rd prize at the ARD International Music Competition Munich, which was the first time a Japanese quartet received a prize at this competition since the Tokyo String Quartet won the 1st prize 38 years before.
In 2009, the quartet gave their official debut at a concert supported by the Japan Music Foundation at Oji Hall, Tokyo.
From 2010 to 2012, the Verus String Quartet (VSQ) studied at the Basel Music Academy, Switzerland, under Rainer Schmidt (Hagen Quartet). In 2010, the VSQ received the Kyoto Aoyama Music Award and in 2011 it received an “ex aequeo“ prize from Stiftung Basler Orchester-Gesellschaft and the 3rd prize at the Osaka International Chamber Music Competition. In 2008, 2010, and 2011, the VSQ received special grants from The Matsuo Foundation.
After graduating from the Basel Academy in 2012, the quartet returned to Japan. In 2013, the VSQ gave recitals at Kioi Hall, Hakuju Hall, Oji Hall, and at the Spring Festival in Tokyo to rave reviews. In the 2014/2015 season, the VSQ was the resident quartet at Hakuju Hall in Tokyo. The quartet released its debut album in July 2015 on the fontec label. They have also appeared on NHK TV and radio programs.
In 2016, the quartet celebrated its 10th anniversary and performed in various prestigious concert halls and festivals in Japan such as the Spring Festival in Tokyo, Dai-ichi Seimei Hall, Japan Mozart Society and Kioi Hall. In October, they had their concert-debut with Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra in Schoenberg’s Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra.
In January 2017, they launched an All-Beethoven Cycle at the Iichiko Cultural Center, Oita, and also started a recording project with the fontec label. This April the VSQ was invited to play with the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra.
The Verus String Quartet has performed with numerous renowned musicians such as founder of Beaux Arts Trio Menahem Pressler (pf), Michio Kobayashi (pf), Alexander Romanovsky (pf), Richard Stolzman (cl) and Paul Meyer (cl).