About us

“The Quartet HANA…surprised with their communicative spontaneity and infectious joy of playing, which was immediately transmitted to the audience.” (Süddeutsche Zeitung)

The Quartett HANA (Gyurim Kwak, Fuga Miwatashi, Simon Ros and Tzu-Shao Chao) was founded in April 2019 at the University of Music and Theatre Munich. The name of the quartet reflects the home countries of its members: “HANA” means “flower” in Japanese and “unity” in Korean.

Since 2021, the quartet has been studying with Prof. Raphaël Merlin and the Quatuor Ébène at the University of Music and Theatre Munich. Since 2024, they have also been studying with Prof. Heime Müller at the University of Music Lübeck. The musicians are regularly mentored by Prof. Eberhard Feltz and Prof. Dirk Mommertz (Fauré Quartet).

Among others, Prof. Oliver Wille, Prof. William Coleman (Kuss Quartet), Prof. Gerhard Schulz (Alban Berg Quartet) and Quatuor Voce have provided the quartet with valuable insights during masterclasses.

The HANA Quartet is a multiple prize winner at international competitions, including 2nd prize at the 2023 Geneva International Music Competition. They also won 3rd prize at the 2023 Carl Nielsen International Chamber Music Competition in Copenhagen, the special “Förderpreis Jeunesse Musicales Deutschland” at the 2022 ARD International Music Competition and 3rd prize at the 2020 Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy University Competition in Berlin.

The quartet has performed with many renowned artists, including Itamar Golan, Sarah McElravy, François Kieffer, Margarita Höhenrieder and Michael Endres, in concert halls such as Victoria Hall in Geneva, the Großersaal of the Konzerthaus Berlin, the Prinzregententheater in Munich, Beethoven House in Bonn, Bibliotheksaal Polling, Stadthalle Tuttlingen, Stadtsaal Kaufbeuren and Jahnhalle Geislingen, among others.

In 2024, the quartet received a string quartet scholarship from the CRF Foundation of the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole. They have also been supported by Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now in Munich since 2021.

Recent engagements include performances at the Mozartfest Würzburg, the Grova Festival in Spain in 2024 and the “Les Classiques du Prieuré” Festival in France. Future engagements include performances at the Heidelberger Frühling Streichquartettfest, Teatro Rosalía de Castro in Spain, the Festival du Guérinet in France and the Mozart Sommer Schloss Salem in 2025.

The two violinists, Gyurim Kwak and Fuga Miwatashi, alternate in the role of primarius.