14th Banff International String Quartet Competition

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Ten quartets will compete for more than half a million dollars at the 2022 Banff International String Quartet Competition (BISQC), the 14th edition since the competition’s establishment in 1983.

Between Aug. 29 and Sept. 4, the contestants will participate in a series of intense performances. In addition to the cash prize, the winner will receive several residencies, including one whose $200,000 value will be fully paid. All three finalists will be given Banff Centre residency offers; the seven remaining quartets will take home $5,000.

BISQC’s triennial occurrence makes it one of the most highly regarded chamber music events in the world. As such, the members of the competing quartets hail from many countries, though only one performer this year is Canadian: Joanne Yesol Choi, cellist for the Dior String Quartet. The quartet has previously done residencies at the Banff Centre and McGill (MISQA), and Choi herself is currently a Rebanks Fellow at the Royal Conservatory of Music. In between performances, the Banff Centre will also host concerts featuring Canadian violinist and BISQC jury member James Ehnes, as well as the 2019 BISQC co-winners, Viano String Quartet and Marmen Quartet.