BISQC · August 30 to September 5, 2010 · The Banff Centre
”BISQC gives the world’s great young quartets the most inspired setting in which to flourish. It is a treasure.”
- Ara Guzelimian, Dean of the Juilliard School
On August 30, ten of the world’s finest emerging string quartets will arrive in Banff, Canada, for the 10th Banff International String Quartet Competition (BISQC). Chosen from dozens of applications from 16 countries, the preliminary jury selected an international roster of accomplished young musicians. The quartets are:
- Afiara String Quartet (Canada)
- Amaryllis Quartet (Germany/Switzerland)
- Asasello Quartet (Germany)
- Atrium String Quartet (Russia)
- Cecilia String Quartet (Canada)
- Gémeaux Quartet (Switzerland)
- Hausmann Quartet (USA)
- Noga Quartet (France)
- Peresson Quartet (USA)
- Quatuor Zaïde (France)
The preliminary jury, including Denis Brott, formerly of the Orford String Quartet, Marka Gustavsson of the Colorado Quartet, and Ian Swensen of the Meliora Quartet, recently met in Banff to review unidentified recordings of recent, unedited performances.
“The preliminary jury was overwhelmed with the high quality of applications from the world’s finest young quartets. The competition promises to be a week of exceptional music making, discovery and celebration with the ten lucky quartets experiencing an unmatched level of support and interest from a passionate and committed audience,” says Barry Shiffman, director of BISQC.
During the competition, August 30 to September 5, each of the ten quartets will perform a range of repertoire in multiple performances before a dedicated audience of more than 900. Works performed will include repertoire of the Classical, Romantic, and 20th century, as well as a new work co-commissioned by The Banff Centre and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation by Canadian composer Ana Sokolovic. Three finalist quartets are chosen on September 4 to compete in the final round on Sunday, September 5, which will wrap up with the RBC Awards.
The RBC Awards are made possible through generous funding from RBC, through its charitable foundation. The RBC Emerging Artists Project helps young artists bridge the gap from the academic to the professional world. “BISQC is known around the world for cultivating international careers for string quartets,” says Bruce MacKenzie, regional president, RBC Alberta and the Territories. “We are honoured to be a part of this wonderful event, which will help many emerging artists develop their craft and gain experience.”
First prize includes $25,000, a quartet of bows made by Canadian bow-maker François Malo, a North American and European concert tours, and the offer of a residency at The Banff Centre including the recording of a compact disc engineered and recorded by the Centre’s Audio Department. The second prize award is $12,000, with $8,000 for third prize, $2,000 for best performance of the Sokolovic work, and the $3,000 Székely Prize, for best performance of a Beethoven or Schubert quartet.
The competition has recently created an endowment of over $1.3 million dollars with the generous support of a private gift and federal government matching funds to support an extensive career development program. The Freeze Family Career Development Fund will allow for concert touring support, new music commissioning funds, residency and educational activity, and publicity and communications support, all in support of our laureates. It is the only such program of its kind in Canada, and dramatically improves the level of support BISQC provides for emerging careers in chamber music.
The BISQC 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.
About BISQC
Founded in 1983 to mark the 50th anniversary of The Banff Centre, BISQC is a triennial competition that brings together a remarkably dedicated classical music audience, and helps support emerging careers. Recognized by the World Federation of International Music Competitions, it is among the top events of its kind. Past winners have included the St. Lawrence, Miró, Daedalus, Jupiter, and TinAlley String Quartets. BISQC takes place in the beautiful setting of Banff, Canada’s first National Park and a Unesco World Heritage Site.
About RBC
RBC believes in building prosperity by contributing to the communities in which we live and work. We are now one of Canada’s largest corporate donors, and we support a broad range of community initiatives, through donations, sponsorships, and employee volunteer activities. In 2009, RBC contributed more than $105 million to community causes worldwide. As a founding member of Imagine Canada, RBC is committed to donating at least one per cent of our average annual net income before taxes. For more information, please see rbc.com/donations and rbc.com/responsibility.
BISQC invites accredited media to attend BISQC, with full accommodation and tickets to the competition performances, lectures, and receptions. We also work with destination partners at Travel Alberta, so travel assistance may be possible for those seeking support.
- Short bios of the 2010 BISQC quartets
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- More information on The Banff International String Quartet Competition
