Kyoka Misawa, violin
Rintaro Kikuno, violin
Itsuki Yamamoto, viola
Ye Un Park, cello
Described as possessing “an immense richness of color… and sparkling rhythms” (All News Press), the Integra Quartethas rapidly gained international recognition. The ensemble has received major awards, including Second Prize and the Audience Prize at the ARD International Music Competition 2022 in Munich, First Prize at the Bartók World Competition 2021 in Budapest, as well as Third Prize and the Sidney Griller Award at the Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition 2025 in London.
Founded in 2015 at the Toho Gakuen Music High School in Tokyo, the Integra Quartet was born from the meeting of four passionate teenage musicians. Since then, the ensemble has developed a deep and lasting musical bond, nurtured by shared curiosity and a common commitment to the string quartet repertoire.
Now based in Hanover, the Integra Quartet has expanded its presence throughout Europe. Recent and upcoming engagements include the Heidelberger Frühling – Streichquartettfest in Heidelberg, the Kammermusik in Wiesbadenseries, the Smetana Days Festival at the Plzeň Philharmonic, as well as concerts at the Alte Oper Frankfurt and in Bad Tölz, Merano, and Budapest.
During its residency at the Colburn School in Los Angeles (2022–2025), the Integra Quartet performed in major concert series and festivals across the United States, including the Schneider Concert Series at The New School, the Green Shoots Initiative at the Kennedy Center, the Discovery Series of the La Jolla Music Society, the Artist Series at the University of Colorado Boulder, and the Nevada Chamber Music Festival.
The Integra Quartet maintains close ties with its artistic roots in Japan, giving annual recitals at Toppan Hall in Tokyo as part of a Bartók-focused series, as well as at Oji Hall, where it has presented cycles devoted to Schubert and Webern and plans to explore works by Mozart and Mendelssohn. In 2025, the ensemble launched a six-year Beethoven cycle at Dai-ichi Seimei Hall, Philia Hall, and other major venues across Japan—one of the country’s most ambitious chamber music projects today.
The Integra Quartet has collaborated with artists such as Alexander Melnikov and Augustin Hadelich, and continues to refine its artistry through collaborations and mentorship within the international chamber music community. The ensemble has also been invited to prestigious festivals, including the PyeongChang Music Festival in South Korea and the Takefu International Music Festival in Japan.
Contemporary music plays a central role in the Integra Quartet’s artistic activity. In 2023, the ensemble performed György Ligeti’s two string quartets at Toppan Hall in a concert marking the composer’s centenary, demonstrating its strong commitment to 20th-century repertoire. The quartet has also benefited from the guidance of the Arditti Quartet, an experience that provided valuable insight into the interpretation of contemporary music. In addition, the Integra Quartet has commissioned and premiered works by Japanese composers, engaging with new ideas and contributing to the emergence of new voices in the string quartet literature.
The Integra Quartet is composed of Kyoka Misawa, first violin; Rintaro Kikuno, second violin; Itsuki Yamamoto, viola; and Ye Un Park, cello. The ensemble received its early training with Kazuhide Isomura and Nobuko Yamazakiat the Toho Gakuen School of Music, as well as as fellows at the Suntory Hall Chamber Music Academy. From 2022 to 2025, it served as Chamber Ensemble-in-Residence at the Colburn School of Los Angeles, under the guidance of Martin Beaver, Jonathan Brown, and Clive Greensmith. The quartet currently continues its artistic development with Oliver Wille at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover, and is also in residence at ProQuartet – European Centre for Chamber Music for the 2025–2027 seasons.
