The four young lads, waiting for an interview with this reporter in the lobby of Seoul Arts Center one recent afternoon, might have been mistaken by passersby as classmates.

The jolly foursome emits such energy and warmth, and a shared and inexhaustible sense of humor.

What binds them, however, is much more than friendship. 

They are Novus Quartet, Korea’s only string quartet that has won international recognition and is now performing actively overseas.

“We have so much to discuss and decide, with so many concerts and performances lined up. And of course, we’ve got to practice and rehearse, which leaves us with very little time to chitchat,” Kim Jae-young, the violinist, said.

The quartet, comprised of Kim, Kim Young-uk (violin), Lee Seung-won (viola) and Moon Woong-whee (cello), has been on a whirlwind rise since February last year, when it snatched the top prize at the prestigious Mozart String Quartet Competition in Austria.

The honor topped off all the accolades the ensemble has won in such international competitions as the Osaka, the Lyon International, the Haydn and the ARD in Germany.

Considering the dull chamber music scene in Korea, what Novus has achieved is truly remarkable.

“We’ve seen so many (chamber music ensembles) disappear after a couple of years of playing together. It wasn’t easy for us, either,” said Kim Jae-young, who founded the quartet in 2007.

Moon, the cellist, chimed in: “We were lucky to have found each other, because we hit it off well not just in music but in general.”

Korea’s classical music scene is dominated by either orchestral concerts or solo performances.

The string quartet, although it has been a core genre of classical music with a vast repertoire, is like an uncultivated field in Korea, which has very few professional ensembles.

“Because string quartets are just so out of proportion in Korea and nonsensically underdeveloped, I thought there may be a place for us,” said Kim, explaining how he came to start Novus.

In recent years, the players have focused primarily on winning global recognition and have stuck to the standard string quartet repertoire.

“Sometimes we felt that we were not taken seriously by audiences, because of our youthful looks,” said he, who is 30 and the oldest of the four. Their average age is 27.

Now, he said they are opening up to new ideas, that could help bring new fans to the musical world of string quartets.

“When we rehearse, we only think about our music-making. But there are times like this interview when we are made to take a step back from what’s going on with us and think about what we should and can do for the Korean audience.”

Looking forward, Novus has a flurry of exciting concert performances scheduled for the next three years.

Among others, the members said they were looking forward to a tour of Italy this summer and a debut concert at the Berlin Philharmonic Concert Hall in Germany.

“Also, we’ll be holding a nationwide tour of Korea this December!”

Up & Coming is a series of interviews with emerging artists in various fields of arts and entertainment. ― Ed.

By Lee Sun-young (milaya@heraldcorp.com)