Four finalists announced in Banff International String Quartet Competition

This evening, executive director Peter Gardner announced that the Jupiter String Quartet (Boston, Mass.), the Ensō Quartet (Houston, Tex.), the Royal String Quartet (Warsaw, Poland), and the Fry Street Quartet (Logan, Utah) have been chosen as finalists in the 2004 Banff International String Quartet Competition at The Banff Centre. After five days of juried concerts focused on classical, romantic, and 20th/21st century repertoire, the finalists were chosen from a group of ten of the world’s most accomplished young string quartets.

“The level at this competition is extremely high,” Gardner says. “Every quartet has something to say. Just to get here and to perform at such a level, before such a large, enthusiastic and knowledgeable audience is, indeed, winning. I know that the judges had their work cut out for them in deciding these four finalists.”

On Sunday, September 5 at 7:30 p.m., these four quartets will go into a final round of performance before a full house in The Banff Centre’s Eric Harvie Theatre. Each will play a piece chosen from the romantic repertoire:

Jupiter String Quartet — Mendelssohn Quartet in A Minor, Op. 13 (1827)
Ensō Quartet — Beethoven Quartet in C Sharp Minor, Op. 131 (1826)
Royal String Quartet — Brahms Quartet in A Minor, Op. 51, No. 2
Fry Street Quartet — Beethoven Quartet in A Minor, Op. 132 (1825)

Created in 1983 to mark the 50th anniversary of The Banff Centre, the triennial Banff International String Quartet Competition (BISQC) is recognized as one of the world’s leading international music competitions. The competition is open to quartets of all nationalities whose members are all under the age of 35. The RBC Awards include $75,000 in cash and prizes, including the offer of a Banff Centre residency and CD recording, a set of bows by renowned Canadian bow maker Michael Vann, and a recital tour arranged by The Banff Centre.

The Banff International String Quartet Competition is generously supported by RBC Financial Group.

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Further information on BISQC and bios of all participating quartets.

Performance and publicity photographs of all finalist quartets.

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