The Works：Esmé Quartet, the art of porcelain during the Jiajing period@MOA & in the studio: Clarinet

The members of the Esmé Quartet were all born in South Korea, but it was while studying in Germany that they got together to form the ensemble. The Quartet came and performed several concerts at this year's Hong Kong Arts Festival.

The Jiajing Emperor Zhu Houcong was the 12th emperor of the Ming dynasty, having come to the throne at the age of 13. He's a somewhat controversial figure, credited with adding a degree of reform and stability to the government in the early years of his 45 year reign. However, he also became known for his cruelty, and during the middle to later years of his reign, for neglecting his official duties and retreating to the West Park in Beijing to spend time and money consulting with Daoist alchemists in the hope of becoming immortal. His interest in those Daoist beliefs influenced the designs of imperial porcelain during his reign, during which the number of porcelain wares ordered by the imperial court from the Jingdezhen kilns increased substantially to a total of almost 600,000 pieces. Some of the finer examples can be seen in a current exhibition at the Hong Kong Museum of Art until 14th June.

Clarinettist and composer Raphaël Sévère was born into a family of musicians. His mother was a Hungarian pianist and his father a French clarinettist and music professor. He was introduced to the piano, the violin, and the cello when he was young.
As a soloist and a chamber musician, he’s also a composer. He composed his first piece “Obscurs” in 2016. He’s in town this time for three concerts with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, one of which features a world premiere of his new composition.