Barry Shiffman leans forward, his face alight with anticipation. “This summer,” he says, “we’re going to take the string quartet into the streets.” Shiffman, director of the Centre’s music programs, is talking about the Quartet in the Community program, part of this year’s Banff International String Quartet competition (BISQC).

“Many people are intimidated by the whole idea of a string quartet,” he explains. “We want to break out of the ‘four guys in tuxedos and an audience afraid to clap’ mystique.”

During the week leading up to BISQC, the Jasper String Quartet, from Houston, Texas, will perform informal concerts in non-traditional locations, such as a downtown park, a bank lobby, and – who knows – maybe even a mountaintop. “It’s guerilla chamber music,” laughs Shiffman, “classical music where you least expect it!”

BISQC, says Shiffman, is an amazing success story. “Over the years, we’ve attracted a dedicated audience, and as a result BISQC has one of the largest sustainable audiences for chamber music anywhere in Canada.”

“We will sell out many of this year’s concerts,” he explains. “We want to share that success and this wonderful music with every member of the community – even those who would never think of attending a classical music concert.”

The Quartet in the Community program is part of the Melba and Orville Rollefson Residency. In addition to the community concerts, the Jasper Quartet will attend all BISQC events and be coached by celebrated musicians in attendance at the competition.

“The intent of the residency is to develop emerging musicians who aspire to reach the level of musicianship of the competing quartets,” says Shiffman. “Through the outreach concerts, we will help them learn how to connect with their audience, and hopefully BISQC itself will inspire them by introducing them to an audience that lives and breathes chamber music.”

The Quartet in the Community concerts will take place August 20-27 in locations throughout the Bow Valley and Calgary. The 9th Banff International String Quartet competition takes place August 28 to September 2. For complete event information, see www.bisqc.ca

The Banff Centre thanks Susan and Robert Larson for their generous support in establishing the Melba and Orville Rollefson Residency, and Banff Lodging Co. and the Banff Community Foundation for their generous support for the Quartet in the Community portion of this residency.

2007 BISQC Quartets

• Afiara String Quartet (Canada)
• Ariel Quartet (Israel/U.S.)
• Attaca Quartet (United States)
• Koryo String Quartet
• (United States)
• Rubens Quartet (The Netherlands)
• Rusquartet (Russia)
• Talisker Quartet (Denmark)
• TinAlley String Quartet (Australia)
• Tokai String Quartet (Canada)
• Zemlinsky Quartet (Czech Republic)

The Banff International String Quartet Competition is generously supported by RBC Financial Group through the RBC Foundation. Watch for a behind-the-scenes journey into the heart of the competition in the winter issue of Inspired.

Published: July 2007.