Banff International String Quartet Festival

Banff International String Quartet Festival is a three-day festival showcasing the finest in international classical music to audiences through a completely immersive experience.

In 2017, the Banff International String Quartet Festival commenced in non-competition years. Led by Director of the Banff International String Quartet Competition Barry Shiffman, the festival features competition alumni alongside special guests exploring repertoire from across the centuries.

Mark your calendars!

BISQFest 2024 will take place August 30 – September 1. 

Upcoming On Sale Dates:

April 24: BISQFest 2023 passport and package holders will receive priority access to purchase passports or packages for the same seats they held in 2023.

May 1: BISQC 2022 passport and package holders will receive early access to purchase passports or packages.  BISQFest 2023 passport and package holders can request new seats on this date.

May 8: Passport and package purchases will be open to the public.

June 12: Individual concert ticket purchases will be open to the public.

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Schedule at a Glance

Over the span of three days, audience members will be immersed in a concert schedule that features some of the finest quartets of our time. Performances, lectures, and shared meals make BISQfest a music-lover's experience you will never forget. 

Full schedule details will be released in early 2024. 
 

Friday, August 30

2:30 pm Opening Concert

7:30 pm Gala Concert Event

Saturday, August 31

10:30 am Concert

2:30 pm Concert

7:30 pm Concert

Sunday, September 1

10:30 am Concert

2:30 pm Concert

7:30 pm Finale Concert
 

Other artist talks and special events to be added to schedule in coming weeks. 
Schedule is subject to change. 

Festival Packages, Passports, and Tickets

With various options to choose from, we make it easy for you to enjoy every note of the Banff International String Quartet Festival by staying on site in the comfort of Banff Centre's hotels with full amenities.

Festival Packages

  • 3 or 4 nights accommodation
  • All meals in Vistas Dining Room
  • Reserved seating to all performances
  • Access to all special events
     

 

Passport Package (tickets only)

For our audience who want to experience it all but do not require accommodatino or meals at Banff Centre. Includes reserve seating to all performances and access to all special events. Packages and passports on sale April 2024. 
 

Individual Tickets

Individual tickets go on sale in June.

Rolston Recital Hall

The majority of performances during the Banff International String Quartet Festival take place in the Rolston Recital Hall at Banff Centre. When you purchase your Package or Passport, the same seat will be reserved for you in the Rolston Recital Hall for the entire Festival. When you book, you will be able to share with us your preferred seats.

Isidore String Quartet, first prize winners of the 14th Banff International String Quartet Competition, will be joining us for this year's celebration of chamber music in Banff. 

Watch Recordings from the online 2021 Banff International String Quartet Festival.

Banff International String Quartet Director - Barry Shiffman

Barry Shiffman is seated on a chair with a violin resting on his knee.

Photo credit: Stuart Lowe

Barry Shiffman enjoys a diverse career as a musician, educator, and administrator. He was co-founder of the St. Lawrence String Quartet (SLSQ) and currently serves as both the Associate Dean and Director of Chamber Music at Glenn Gould School, and Director of the Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. 

During his 17 years with the SLSQ he appeared in over 2,000 concerts in venues around the globe, and recorded several critically acclaimed discs under an exclusive contract with EMI Classics. While with SLSQ, Shiffman served as artistin-residence at Stanford University from 1998 to 2006 and as visiting artist at the University of Toronto from 1995 to 2006. 

Shiffman has also served in numerous roles at Banff Centre, including Director of Music Programs (2006-2010), Artistic Director of Summer Classical Music Programs (2010-2016), and Director of the Banff International String Quartet Competition since 2006. During his tenure at Banff Centre he introduced new programming in classical music performance, composition, popular music, and jazz and oversaw the dramatic growth of the Banff International String Quartet Competition, including the successful launch of the Banff Centre International String Quartet Festival in 2017.

In 2018, Shiffman was appointed Artistic Director of Rockport Music in Massachusetts, overseeing all classical programming for the organization including a five-week summer chamber music festival at the venerable Shalin Liu Performance Center. From 2009-2017, he was Executive Artistic Director of Music in the Morning Concert Society in Vancouver. A sought-after juror, he has served on the violin jury of the Tchaikovsky and Montreal Violin Competitions, and the String Quartet Competitions of London Wigmore Hall, Lyon, and Geneva.

Shiffman received his formal studies at the Royal Conservatory in Toronto, University of Toronto, Utrecht Conservatory, Hartt School of Music, Juilliard School, and Yale University. Summer studies included Banff Centre, Tanglewood, and Aspen. He is also  the recipient of the Longy School’s Nadia Boulanger Prize for Excellence in the Art of Teaching, and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Calgary.

 

 

Donate

Show your support for young musicians coming to Banff for the next Banff International String Quartet Competition. 

Donate Now

Banff International String Quartet Festival is generously supported by: 

Lead Supporters
Anonymous
Jenny Belzberg Future Fund
Sir Jack Lyons Charitable Trust

Official Media Partner of BISQFest 2023:

 

The Violin Channel

Supported by:







Contact Us

For questions please contact:
Email: 
bisqc@banffcentre.ca
Phone: 403.762.6231
Lisa Ramsey, Manager
Jane Russell, Coordinator
107 Tunnel Mountain Drive
Box 1020, Stn. 23
Banff, Alberta
T1L 1H5 Canada