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Cecilia String Quartet wins first prize at the 2010 Banff International String Quartet Competition

Posted by Jill Sawyer
Sunday, 5 September 2010

This evening, competition executive director Barry Shiffman announced that the Cecilia String Quartet from Toronto, Canada, has been awarded First Prize in the 2010 Banff International String Quartet Competition (BISQC) at The Banff Centre. Following six days of juried concerts focused on classical, Romantic, and contemporary repertoire, the winner was chosen from a group of the world’s most accomplished young string quartets.

“With a stunning spirit of creativity that consistently celebrated risk-taking and discovery, the Cecilia Quartet impressed the distinguished jury above all others,” says Shiffman. “It was, however, the insatiable appetite that the capacity audience showed for all music-making that has proven again that the future of classical music looks very bright.”

Cecilia String Quartet, first prize winners of the 2010 BISQC

The RBC Awards First Prize package includes a prize of $25,000 (CND), an extensive three-year career development program including concert tours in Europe and North America, Banff Centre residencies, including the production of a CD recorded and produced by the Centre’s Audio department, and public relations assistance. As well, the first prize includes a quartet of custom bows by renowned bow maker François Malo.

The evening’s other RBC Award winners include:

• Second Prize ($12,000) – Afiara String Quartet (Canada)
• Third Prize ($8,000) – Quatuor Zaïde (France)
• Székely Prize ($3,000 awarded for the best performance of a Beethoven or Schubert quartet during Round Four) – Afiara String Quartet
• Canadian Commission Prize ($2,000 awarded for the best performance of Canadian composer Ana Sokolovic’s Commedia del’Arte, commissioned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and The Banff Centre for the competition) – Cecilia String Quartet

Founded in 1983 to mark the 50th anniversary of The Banff Centre, BISQC is a triennial competition that helps support emerging careers. Recognized by the World Federation of International Music Competitions, it is among the top events of its kind.

The BISQC preliminary jury included Denis Brott, formerly of the Orford String Quartet, Marka Gustavsson of the Colorado Quartet, and Ian Swensen of the Meliora Quartet. The competition jury is made up of seven of the world’s top musicians, mentors, and teachers. They include Terence Helmer, formerly of the Orford Quartet, Erich Höbarth of Quatuor Mosaïques, Louise Hopkins of the Guildhall School, Hsin-Yun Huang, formerly of the Borromeo Quartet, Joel Krosnick of the Juilliard Quartet, Tim Vogler of the Vogler Quartet, and Timothy Ying, formerly of the Ying Quartet.

BISQC is a celebration of chamber music that attracts a remarkably dedicated and knowledgable audience, many returning every three years. During the week of competition, audiences have participated in lecture series, impromptu community concerts, and performance opportunities for emerging young musicians, all in the spectacular setting of Banff National Park, a Unesco World Heritage Site.

More photos on our Gallery page

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