Banff International String Quartet Competition (BISQC)

BISQC in the News

Artvoice [Buffalo, N.Y.]   (January 19, 2012): “Prizewinners at international string quartet competitions in both Osaka, Japan in 2008 and Bordeaux, France, in 2010 and the winners of a Galaxie Rising Stars Award in Canada, the group went on to capture the First Prize at the Banff International String Quartet Competition, Canada’s most prestigious, in 2010.”

Niles [Illinois] Herald-Spectator   (January 11, 2012): “Northwestern University’s three-weekend Winter Chamber Music Festival began the evening of January 6…. The concert opened with Mozart’s String Quartet No. 16, which he dedicated to Haydn. The work had bursts of fun, which the players handled with sparkling dexterity. Sir Georg Solti said he believed in God because of Mozart. After hearing the Cecilia play this quartet, I know why.”

Calgary Herald   (October 26, 2011):   A review of the Cecilia’s performance in Calgary on October 26, which included performances of Mozart (“The Cecelia ladies clearly have an affinity with this music, naturally expressing its blend of poise and passion”) and Dvořák (“Such music needs a first violinist with a ‘generous’ sound, and this it had in the marvellous playing of Min-Jeong Koh. She, however, was well matched by her fellow players, and under their capable fingers the quartet soared and thrilled, filling the hall with the most exquisite sounds).

Ensemble   (August 2011):   The German magazine for chamber music interviews the quartet. “The four of them are a team and rely on each other – on stage as well as in daily life. And currently, daily life is very strenuous. Nearly every day brings another concert in another town. For more than a month, they have been crisscrossing Europe and giving concerts in the Netherlands, Italy and Germany. It’s a massive program that the musicians visibly enjoy.”

(Spring 2011) - English translation of reviews compiled by Konzertdirektion. “The young ladies of the Cecelia string quartet left a grandiose impression. Chamber music of such irresistible freshness, without any technical errors, presented with seamless homogeneity — something like this is not easy to find.”

Sydney [Australia] Morning Herald   (May 16, 2011):   “By the measure of international recognition, Melbourne’s Tinalley String Quartet [winner of the 2007 BISQC] is one of Australia’s most successful chamber groups as it plans a fifth world tour. But that does not translate to what many people associate with success — five-star accommodation, luxurious food and a paid-off mortgage.”

Ottawa Chamberfest   (May 5, 2011):   Friday, July 29, 8 pm, the Cecilia String Quartet performs works by Haydn, Berg, Dvorák and Beethoven at Saint Brigid’s Centre for the Arts in the Grand Canal Concert Hall. The Cecilia String Quartet also performs with other chamber musician friends on July 28 and July 31 at 3 p.m. Concerts are funded in part by BISQC, through the generous support of KUN Shoulder Rest Co.

World Federation of Music Competition newsletter   (April 11, 2011): “The great things about BISQC is they really pamper you!” Interviewed in the World Federation of Music Competition newsletter, Min-Jeong Koh explains how the BISQC career development program will make a difference.

Nürnberger Nachrichten   (April 7, 2011): Writing about the Cecilia Quartet’s April 7 concert in Nurnberg, reviewer Werner Veith says their performance “masterfully illuminates the subtleties of the piece and moves elegantly and joyfully between major and minor keys.” Translated from the original German.

Berlin Zeitung   (April 3, 2011): Berlin Zeitung reviewer Martin Wilkening describes the Cecilia’s April 3 concert as “dauntingly perfect.”

Kreiszeitung   (April 1, 2011): Reviewer Ute Schalz-Laurenze of Kreiszeitung says the Cecilia String Quartet’s Bremen concert “sets new standards for the interpreation of this music.”

Review of The Snow Queen

Capital Critics’ Circle   (February 2011): Review of the musical and theatrical production featuring live music by the Cecilia String Quartet. “[A] delight, both as a theatrical event and as a musical experience.” The show was also reviewed by the Ottawa Citizen.

News from the String World

Strings Magazine   (September 13): Brief note about the competition results. “Look forward to a recap of the competition in an upcoming issue of Strings magazine.”

Canadian string quartets triumph in Rockies

Toronto Star   (September 10): “Cecilia String Quartet and Afiara String Quartet finish one-two in sterling Banff competition, evidence of strength of youth scene.”

Cecilia String Quartet wins 1st prize at Banff Competition

McGill Reporter   (September 8): “They played every round with such spirit, creativity and tremendous determination,” said McGill professor André Roy, who was present at the competition. Roy is the quartet’s supervisor at the Schulich School of Music.

Canadian musicians triumph at Banff

Globe and Mail   (September 7): “They said they wanted to play so well that the jurors would forget it was a competition, and the Cecilia String Quartet succeeded.”

Cecilia String Quartet nabs 1st place at Banff

CBC News   (September 7): “A packed, enthusiastic crowd at the Banff Centre's Eric Harvie Theatre watched early Sunday evening as the Cecilia Quartet captured the $25,000 first prize.”

Made-in-Toronto Cecilia String Quartet wins first prize at BISQC

Toronto Star   (September 7): “Ensembles are nurtured, not made. And that nurturing, where the self is turned into the collective, can take a lot of time, work and trial. A beautiful case in point is the Cecilia String Quartet.”

Cecilia String Quartet rules the day in Banff

Calgary Herald   (September 6): Calgary Herald report on the finals.

Cecilia and Afiara take first and second at Banff

CBC Radio 2   (September 5): Report on the finals, with links to recordings of the concerts.

Cecilia wins!

Hudson Sounds [New York]   (September 5): Analysis of how the quartets made it to the finals and claim that Cecilia “seized the moment” with their rendition of Dvořák in the finals.

And the winner is…

The Strad   (September 5): The Cecilia Quartet beat eight other rivals from Europe and North America to the first prize at the final on Sunday afternoon after playing Dvořák’s String Quartet in G major op.106 to a packed house.

Canadian string quartets into international finals

Calgary Herald   (September 5): The two Canadian string quartets have both made it to the finals.

And then there were three

CBC Radio 2   (September 5): Announcement of the finalists.

Miró Quartet trades in instruments for kazoos

CBC Radio 2   (September 4): The group played a mystery phrase from a string quartet as part of a quiz.

The other Canadians

CBC Radio 2   (September 4): A discussion with Canadian members of Hausmann and the Peresson quartets.

A quartet of Malo bows

CBC Radio 2   (September 4): A discussion with renowned Canadian bowmaker Francois Malo, who made bows for the first prize winners.

Meet the Young Székely / Rolston Quartets

CBC Radio 2   (September 4): A talk with some of the young musicians in the Sékely/Rolston Young Musicians Program.

Commedia dell’arte by Sokolovic

CBC Radio 2   (September 4): Anna Sokolovic in conversation with Bill Richardson of “In Concert.”

Banff International String Quartet Competition on Friday

Calgary Herald   (September 4): One story told nine different ways: Ana Sokolovic took three characters from Commedia dell’arte as the starting point for her Canadian Commission.

Local resident shut out of the competition

CBC Radio 2   (September 4): A deer on campus is a reminder of how close we are to nature. “It’s a spectacular place for music, where culture meets the mountains.”

You do it because you love it

The Globe and Mail   (September 3): Some of Canada’s most talented string musicians discuss the pressures and rewards of competing at a prestigious competition.

Talk time with the Cecilia

CBC Radio 2   (September 3): A chat with the Canadian group about the BISQC experience.

Banff’s Instrumental 911

CBC Radio 2   (September 3): A visit with Wilder and Davis luthiers in Banff.

Round Three

Hudson Sounds [New York]   (September 3): “The three-movement, ten minute, Commedia dell’arte charmingly disarmed resistance to new ways of making music.”

The psychology of the competition

CBC Radio 2   (September 2): Interview with Geoff Nuttall about the pressures faced by the competing quarterts.

At the table with the Afiara

CBC Radio 2   (September 1): Interviews with the two Canadian quartets, the Cecilia and the Afiara.

The wisdom of youth and “musical evangelism”

CBC Radio 2   (September 1): Interviews with the Calliope and Stringendo quartets.

This round's over… let the horse race begin!

CBC Radio 2   (September 1): The level is superb and not a single group really stuck out from another.

Round Two

Hudson Sounds [New York]   (September 1): “In round two the notable nine led us down a garden path of delights in a sweeping array of Romantic quartets. Among these nine super contenders there is one to suit anyone’s preferred style.”

Remembering Tom Rolston

Calgary Herald   (August 31): BISQC bears the philosophical imprint of one man’s long passionate association with music.

Behind the music: Does the story matter?

CBC Radio 2   (August 31): A talk with Geoff Nutall about the importance of knowing the story behind the music.

Geoff Nuttall brings highlights from Banff

CBC Radio 2   (August 31): Commentary every day during the competition on CBC Radio 2's “Tempo.”

Postcard from Banff

The Strad   (August 30): Matthew Rye settles in among the elk in the run-up to the string quartet competition.

Cooking a Statistical BISQ

CBC Radio 2   (August 30): Tallying the ingredients in the competition: 9 quartets, 36 musicians, 6 countries.

Quartets linked to California university vying at BISQC

SignOn San Diego [California]   (August 30): The Cecelia and Hausmann quartets are both associated with San Diego State University.

Competition opens with mute splendor

Hudson Sounds [New York]   (August 29): “Mute but splendidly august the Canadian Rockies hold court for this event.”

BISQC set to go!

CBC Radio 2   (August 29): Overview of CBC’s coverage.

Rolston’s spirit lives on in songs of strings

Calgary Herald   (August 28): Late mentor’s legacy guides “enlightened” competition

Music will “jump off the stage” as string quartets compete in Banff

Calgary Herald   (August 26): An interview with Barry Shiffman and introduction to the competition.

Les Quatuors de McGill : Asasello d'abord, Cecilia ensuite

Cyberpresse   (August 25): The Asasello and Cecilia quartets performed in Montreal shortly before coming to BISQC. “Le Asasello, c'est d'abord le spectacle plutôt amusant d'un colosse et trois marmots.”

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