Each of the nine quartets invited to the 9th BISQC (2007) performed in the four preliminary rounds of the competition from August 28 to September 1, 2007. Following the September 1 performance, four quartets were selected to advance to the Final Round on September 2.

All performances took place in the Eric Harvie Theatre.

The performances were recorded by CBC Radio 2 and are available on their Concerts on Demand website, or by clicking on the "Listen Now" to access the complete audio page for each concert. To view information about each quartet, click "read bio" for a detailed background on each performance group.

Recital Round

Tuesday, August 28

2:00 p.m.

Koryo String Quartet (U.S.) read bio Listen Now

Haydn   Quartet in D Minor, Op. 76, No. 2 “Quinten”

Bartók   Quartet No. 6

TinAlley String Quartet (Australia) read bio Listen Now

Haydn   Quartet in D Major, Op. 76, No. 5 “Largo”

Bartók   Quartet No. 2, Op. 17

7:30 p.m.

Tokai String Quartet (Canada) read bio Listen Now

Haydn   Quartet in G Minor, Op. 20, No. 3

Bartók   Quartet No. 2, Op. 17

Attacca Quartet (U.S.) read bio Listen Now

Haydn   Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 76, No. 4 “Sunrise”

Bartók   Quartet No. 4

Wednesday, August 29

10:30 a.m.

Afiara String Quartet (Canada) read bio Listen Now

Haydn   Quartet in G Major, Op. 77, No. 1

Bartók   Quartet No. 2, Op. 17

Talisker Quartet (Denmark) read bio Listen Now

Haydn   Quartet in G Major, Op. 76, No. 1

Bartók   Quartet No. 4

2:00 p.m.

Zemlinsky Quartet (Czech Republic) read bio Listen Now

Haydn   Quartet in D Major, Op. 76, No. 5 “Largo”

Bartók   Quartet No. 2, Op. 17

Rusquartet (Russia) read bio Listen Now

Haydn   Quartet in D Major, Op. 64, No. 5 “Lark”

Bartók   Quartet No. 4

7:30 p.m.

Ariel String Quartet (Israel / U.S.) read bio Listen Now

Haydn   Quartet in G Major, Op. 77, No. 1

Bartók   Quartet No. 4

Romantic Round

Thursday, August 30

10:30 a.m.

Rusquartet (Russia) read bio Listen Now

Borodin   String Quartet No. 1 in A Major

Attacca Quartet (U.S.) read bio Listen Now

Debussy   Quartet in G Minor, No. 10

Zemlinsky Quartet (Czech Republic) read bio Listen Now

Dvořák   Quartet No. 14 in A-flat Major, Op. 105

2:00 p.m.

TinAlley String Quartet (Australia) read bio Listen Now

Mendelssohn   Quartet in A Minor, Op. 13

Ariel String Quartet (Israel / U.S.) read bio Listen Now

Brahms   Quartet in A Minor, Op. 51, No. 2

Tokai String Quartet (Canada) read bio Listen Now

Debussy   Quartet in G Minor, No. 10

7:30 p.m.

Afiara String Quartet (Canada) read bio Listen Now

Mendelssohn   Quartet in D Major, Op. 44, No. 1

Koryo String Quartet (U.S.) read bio Listen Now

Schumann   Quartet in A Major, Op. 41, No. 3

Talisker Quartet (Denmark) read bio Listen Now

Brahms   Quartet in A Minor, Op. 51, No. 2

Canadian Commission Round

Friday, August 31

10:30 a.m.

In this round all nine quartets perform in the world premiere of Canadian composer Kelly-Marie Murphy’s Dark Energy, co-commissioned for the 9th BISQC by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and The Banff Centre.

Commision Round Overview

Performing Groups:

Tokai String Quartet (Canada)

Koryo String Quartet (U.S.)

Zemlinsky Quartet (Czech Republic)

Attacca Quartet (U.S.)

Talisker Quartet (Denmark)

Rusquartet (Russia)

TinAlley String Quartet (Australia)

Afiara String Quartet (Canada)

Ariel String Quartet (Israel / U.S.)

Beethoven or Schubert Round

Saturday, September 1

10:30 a.m.

Afiara String Quartet (Canada) read bio Listen Now

Beethoven   Quartet in E Minor, Op. 59, No. 2 “Razumovsky”

Koryo String Quartet (U.S.) read bio Listen Now

Schubert   Quartet in G Major, D. 887

Tokai String Quartet (Canada) read bio Listen Now

Beethoven   Quartet in C-sharp Minor, Op. 131

2:30 p.m.

Talisker Quartet (Denmark) read bio Listen Now

Schubert   Quartet in D Minor, D. 810 “Death and the Maiden”

Attacca Quartet (U.S.) read bio Listen Now

Beethoven   Quartet in F Minor, Op. 95 “Serioso”

Ariel String Quartet (Israel / U.S.) read bio Listen Now

Beethoven   Quartet in A Minor, Op. 132

7:30 p.m.

Rusquartet (Russia) read bio Listen Now

Beethoven   Quartet in F Minor, Op. 95 “Serioso”

Zemlinsky Quartet (Czech Republic) read bio Listen Now

Beethoven   Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 127

TinAlley String Quartet (Australia) read bio Listen Now

Beethoven   Quartet in C-sharp Minor, Op. 131

Following the Beethoven or Schubert Round, the jury selected four string quartets to advance to the fifth and final round.

Sunday, September 2 · Final Round

The four quartet finalists performed Webern’s Six Bagatelles, Opus 9, followed by either a quartet from Beethoven Opus 18 or one of the 10 celebrated Mozart quartets (K.387, K.421, K.428, K.458, K.464, K.465, K.499, K.575, K.589, K.590) in this exhilarating final round of the six day competition.

7:30 p.m. 

Ariel String Quartet (Israel / U.S.) read bio Listen Now

Mozart, Quartet No. 19 in C Major, K. 465, “Dissonant’

TinAlley String Quartet (Australia) read bio Listen Now

Beethoven, Quartet in F major, Opus 18, No. 1

Tokai String Quartet (Canada) read bio Listen Now

Mozart, Quartet No. 20 in D major, K. 499, “Hoffmeister”

Zemlinsky Quartet (Czech Republic) read bio Listen Now

Mozart, Quartet No. 19 in C Major, K. 465, “Dissonant’

Following the concert, the competition winners were announced and the RBC Awards presented.