The BISQC Blog

North American Fall Tour Diary

Posted by Rachel Desoer, Cecilia String Quartet
Monday, 21 November 2011

From New York to Victoria and back to Banff, Cecilia cellist Rachel Desoer recounts the fun of playing concerts, teaching, and learning.
Read more…

CBC Radio to Broadcast Cecilia Concert

Thursday, 7 April 2011

Happy 75th CBC! CBC Radio will broadcast a June 17, 2011, Banff Centre concert featuring the Cecilia String Quartet with guests Geoff Nuttall, Jamie Parker, and Adrian Fung. This concert is part of CBC’s special 75th anniversary programming.
Read more…

The joy of trains

Posted by Cecilia String Quartet
Tuesday, 5 April 2011

The joy of train travel, the challenge of working on tour.
Read more…

Notes from the road

Posted by Cecilia String Quartet
Wednesday, 30 March 2010

After two weeks on tour, the Cecelia String Quartet has played six concerts in Holland, one in Belgium, one in Italy, and is on the way to Germany.
Read more…

Follow the Cecilia Quartet on tour

Updated Thursday, 24 March 2011

Catch the Cecilia String Quartet's light-hearted video diary of their BISQC European tour on YouTube or follow them on Twitter.
Read more…

Traveling misadventures

Posted by Cecilia String Quartet
Thursday, 24 March 2011

A list of difficulties on the road
Read more…

The tour begins

Posted by Cecilia String Quartet
Saturday, 19 March 2011

The Cecelia String Quartet begins its European tour in Holland staying with local chamber music supporters.
Read more…

Cecilia Quartet on CBC Radio's Q

Friday, 28 January 2011

The Cecilia String Quartet drops into the Q studio to chat and play
Read more…

Podcasts available online

Thursday, 23 September 2010

Podcasts (audio recordings), including the lecture series, are now available on iTunes.
Read more…

The Cecilia Quartet announces the appointment of cellist Rachel  Desoer

Posted by Cecilia Quartet
Friday, 10 September 2010

Cecilia String Quartet cellist Rebecca Wenham has resigned her position to pursue personal projects. Rachel Desoer will join the quartet in their new residency as Quartet Fellows at the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.
Read more…

Cecilia String Quartet wins first prize at the 2010 BISQC

Posted by Jill Sawyer
Sunday, 5 September 2010

Cecilia String Quartet from Toronto has been awarded First Prize.
Read more…

Breaking News: Everyone wins at BISQC!

Posted by Christy Mackintosh
Sunday, 5 September 2010

BISQC exists to raise the profile of all of its performers, engage and inspire new audiences, and expand the range and reach of string quartet repertoire.
Read more…

The Beethoven/Schubert Round: The Gluttony Continues

Posted by Christy Mackintosh
Saturday, 4 September 2010

It has been a marathon day in a marathon week of chamber music.
Read more…

Removing the blemishes

Posted by Jim Swanson
Saturday, 4 September 2010

Audio engineers working with guest faculty Mark Willsher tone down the rustles, clunks, coughs, and ringtones in the concert recordings.
Read more…

Practical Magic: What goes into winning the Canadian Commission Round?

Posted by Christy Mackintosh
Friday, 3 September 2010

Consider the challenge of learning a piece of music that you’ve never heard before. The piece has never been performed, and never been recorded.
Read more…

Greening the stage

Posted by Jim Swanson
Friday, 3 September 2010

Setting the lights for the Eric Harvie stage included a special touch for the flowers.
Read more…

A smattering of media

Posted by Jim Swanson
Thursday, 2 September 2010

BISQC is being covered by journalists from across Canada and Europe.
Read more…

Of the bells

Posted by Jim Swanson
Wednesday, 1 September 2010

Another sort of competition took place in the lobby.
Read more…

Question mark music

Posted by Christy Mackintosh
Wednesday, 1 September 2010

“The string quartet is the medium most composers from the 19th century on chose to express their deepest personal feelings and experiences.&rdquo
Read more…

Day Two: Connecting with Berg’s Lyric Suite

Posted by Christy Mackintosh
Tuesday, 31 August 2010

Geoff Nuttall connects the lives and music of early 20th-century composers.
Read more…

News about the newspapers

Posted by Jim Swanson
Tuesday, 31 August 2010

Guest service director Jim Olver presents a copy of The Globe and Mail to resident audience member Vernon Turner. There was a severe shortage of Globes on Monday.
Read more…

What makes it great?

Posted by Christy Mackintosh
Monday, 30 August 2010

Rob Kapilow breaks the ice in a lecture on Haydn laced with humour.
Read more…

The Esterházy Castle

Posted by Jim Swanson
Sunday, 29 August 2010

A replica of the the salon of Haydn’s patron is available for ad hoc quartets.
Read more…

Tech Check

Posted by Jim Swanson
Sunday, 29 August 2010

Audio technicians check out the equipment for the upcoming concerts and broadcasts.
Read more…

Calliope at the Park Museum

Posted by the Calliope Quartet
Sunday, 29 August 2010

The Calliope Quartet visits the Banff Park Museum and Fox Hotel on a pleasant day.
Read more…

Quartets get oriented

Posted by Jim Swanson
Sunday, 29 August 2010

The quartets settle into their studio spaces in the Music and Sound building.
Read more…

CBC Radio 2 featuring BISQC

Posted by Jim Swanson
Sunday, 29 August 2010

CBC Radio’s coverage starts with Bill Richardson’s show on Sunday afternoon and includes their own blog.
Read more…

BISQC quartets arrive at Banff

Posted by Jim Swanson
Saturday, 28 August 2010

Between Thursday and Sunday, the nine competing quartets will arrive at The Banff Centre.
Read more…

Attention shoppers…

Posted by the Calliope Quartet
Saturday, 28 August 2010

The Calliope Quartet travels to Canmore for visits to the windy outdoor market, the local branch of BISQC sponsor RBC, and the meat department at Safeway.
Read more…

Free ice cream for all

Posted by the Calliope Quartet
Thursday, 26 August 2010

The Calliope Quartet visits the Wild Flour Bakery, Johnston Canyon, and Lake Louise.
Read more…

Banking with Bartók

Posted by the Calliope Quartet
Wednesday, 25 August 2010

BISQC's Quartet in the Community journeys to Calgary to play for RBC employees and customers.
Read more…

Paperclips and Plexiglass

Posted by the Calliope Quartet
Tuesday, 24 August 2010

A struggle with the elements on the shores of Lake Minnewanka forces the Calliope Quartet to improvise.
Read more…

Have (red) van, will travel

Posted by the Calliope Quartet
Monday, 23 August 2010

The Calliope Quartet's Cynthia Black chimes in with her first report from BISQC's Quartet in the Community as they perform at the Banff Caribou Lodge.
Read more…