11th Banff International String Quartet Competition 2013 - Participants

The Banff International String Quartet Competition is a three-years string quartet competition. The event organized by Banff Center, a music foundation headquartet in Alberta, Canada.

About the Banff International String Quartet Competition
For over 30 years, BISQC has celebrated the art of chamber music while providing career support for emerging string quartets. With great support of the RBC Foundation the 2013 competition will continue this experience, allowing for an unprecedented number of public performances and an exploration of a wide variety of music, all with the aim of creating a festival-like atmosphere during the week-long event.

The 2013 Entry for the Competition has been announced and they are:
Anima Quartet (Russia/China) - Profile
Attacca Quartet (USA) - Profile
Calidore String Quartet (USA/Canada) - Profile
Quatuor Cavatine (France) - Profile
Dover Quartet (USA) - Profile
Gémeaux Quartett (Switzerland) - Profile
Linden String Quartet (USA) - Profile
Navarra Quartet (UK/Ireland/the Netherlands) - Profile
Noga Quartet (France/Israel) - Profile
Schumann Quartett (Germany) - Profile

Among the groups, the Attacca Quartet is quite established. The group has been familiar with their '68 Projects' and released a new CD just recently - Fellow Traveller.  Gemeaux Quartett and Anima Quartet are also strong names. Gemeaux Quartett won second prize in both the International Franz Schubert and Modern Music Competition (Graz) and the International Joseph Haydn Chamber Music Competition (Vienna). The Anima Quartet were even full of accolades, first prize and special prize at the 2009 International Franz Schubert and Modern Music Competition (Austria), first prize at the 2009 International Charles Hennen Chamber Music Competition (Netherlands), and first prize for the 2011 Boris Pergamenshikov Prize for Chamber Musik (Germany). While the others participants were no less names, comes with bag of winning medals as well.

Meanwhile, Schumann Quartett just won the 2013 International Bordeaux String Quartet Competition in May.

ten string quartets invited to BISQC 2013 - see profile

These ten ensembles will performed from 26th August 2013 - 1st September 2013. The contest is for a career development and a winner's tour. See Schedule

The last edition of BISQC was in 2010 and won by Cecilia String Quartet (Canada). The list of winner of Banff International String Quartet Competition were:
the Colorado Quartet (1983)
the Franciscan Quartet (1986)
the Manfred Quartet (1989)
the St. Lawrence String Quartet (1992)
the Amernet Quartet (1995)
the Miró Quartet (1998)
the Daedalus Quartet (2001)
the Jupiter String Quartet (2004)
the Tinalley Quartet (2007)
the Cecilia String Quartet (2010)

see detail of Laureates here
About Banff