Photo by Cody Fitzgerald.
BANFF INTERNATIONAL STRING QUARTET COMPETITION A U G . 2 6 – S E P T. 1 , 2 0 1 9
Supported by:
A B A WAT H T E C H . O K I . G WA N I S T Ł I N A N I YA . B I E N V E N U E . WELCOME.
Situated on Treaty 7 territory in Canada’s first national park, Banff Centre is Canada’s largest postgraduate arts school. Every year Banff Centre attracts nearly 4,000 artists and leaders from Alberta, Canada, and around the world to its campus in the beautiful Canadian Rockies. More than 75,000 artists have trained, created, or performed at Banff Centre since its inception in 1933. Our home on Treaty 7 territory has a long history as a sacred gathering place for trade, sharing, visions, ceremony, and celebration. Those traditions continue today as creative individuals in all artistic disciplines meet here to learn, share, and create through a variety of programs in arts, leadership, and mountain culture. We are grateful to share this land as a place for creation and inspiration, and acknowledge the past, present, and future generations of Stoney Nakoda, Blackfoot, and Tsuut’ina Nations who help us steward the land, as well as honour and celebrate this place.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
4
Welcome Messages
13
History and Laureates
14
Process and Jury Voting Procedures
17
Competing Quartets
40
Schedule at a Glance
42
Detailed Schedule
64
Resident Audience and Passport Holder Exclusive Events
66
Awards, Special Prizes, and Winner’s Tour
70
Competition Director
72
Preliminary Jury
74
Competition Jury
78
Special Guests
84
Guest Performers
88
Fifty for the Future: The Kronos Learning Repertoire by Keith Horner
93
Residencies: A Model for Long-Term Success by Tamara Bernstein
96
Revitalizing our Theatre: Banff Centre is in my heart
99
Young Musicians Program
100
Quartet in the Community: Melba and Orville Rollefson Residency
102
Media, Donor Opportunities, and Supporters
104
Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Mission Statement, and BISQC Team
106
Banff Centre Map
3
WELCOME
GOVERNOR GENERAL O F C A N A DA
4
Welcome to the 13th Banff International String Quartet Competition. As you gather at Banff Centre to enjoy some of the world’s best chamber music amid the splendour of the Rocky Mountains, know that I am a little envious. As someone who shares with you a deep and abiding love of music, I know that the next seven days will be filled with thrills and enchantment. Since its beginnings in 1983, BISQC has been recognized as one of the premier chamber music competitions in the world and has served as a launch pad for countless young ensembles on their way to international music careers. In this year’s preliminaries, 37 outstanding young quartets from diverse countries submitted remarkable performances. Ten were chosen as semi-finalists. In the coming days they will dazzle you, and the jury will be hard pressed to determine the winners. To the gifted young performers who have worked so hard to make it to the finals, give it your all and don’t hold back. No matter the outcome, you will gain valuable experience and unparalleled exposure. Congratulations to the musicians and to the organizers who continue to make the Banff International String Quartet Competition such a resounding success. May you all continue to make, enjoy, and celebrate music long into the future.
Julie Payette Governor General of Canada
WELCOME
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR O F C A N A DA
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As Her Majesty the Queen’s representative in Alberta, it is my pleasure to welcome everyone to the 13th Banff International String Quartet Competition. Since its inception in 1983, this internationally-renowned competition has supported the world’s best emerging musicians while celebrating the art and beauty of classical music. This exciting event honours the deeply-rooted musical traditions that are an important part of who we are as Albertans and Canadians. It also celebrates the leadership role that Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity is taking in inspiring excellence and innovation, both here in Canada and on the world stage. I offer my sincere congratulations to everyone behind the ongoing success of this competition, including the dedicated juries, audience members, supporters, and staff. To the 40 extraordinary musicians who will be performing, thank you for sharing your talent and passion with us all. Finally, to our visitors to Alberta, welcome to our beautiful province. I offer my best wishes to all for a wonderful week of uplifting music here in magnificent Banff!
Her Honour, the Honourable Lois Mitchell, CM, AOE, LLD Lieutenant Governor of Alberta
WELCOME
GOVERNMENT O F A L B E R TA
6
On behalf of the Government of Alberta, it is my pleasure to welcome everyone to the 13th Banff International String Quartet Competition. Our province is honoured to host this highly regarded competition, which not only celebrates the history of Banff Centre and arts in Alberta, but also provides an inspiring look at the future of chamber music around the world. These talented young ensemble musicians will be vying for exceptional prizes and the opportunity to take their careers to the next level. It is an inspiring musical experience in an appropriately inspirational setting. Thank you to the organizers for their ongoing efforts in making this prestigious triennial event possible. My thanks also to the distinguished jury members, the dedicated audiences, and all the volunteers for making this competition a success. Enjoy the music and the hospitality of the beautiful Banff region, and very best wishes to all the competitors.
Honourable Jason Kenney Premier of Alberta
WELCOME
TOWN OF BANFF
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Welcome to Banff! On behalf of Council and the Town of Banff, it is a great pleasure to welcome all participants of the 13th Banff International String Quartet Competition to our beautiful town. Whether you are competing, judging, or just enjoying the musical experience, we are delighted that you have come to Banff. An outstanding setting is only a part of what Banff has to offer visitors. It has a rich history, character, and quality of life found nowhere else in this country. From outdoors to opera, there truly is something for everyone. And to top it off, Banff still has the relaxed friendliness distinctive to small towns. I hope that during your time here you will take some time to experience some of the features that make Banff such a special place! Welcome back and best wishes for a successful competition and an enjoyable stay in our town. Yours truly,
Karen Sorensen Mayor, Town of Banff
Banff Centre is art that transcends the world. As Canada’s largest post-graduate arts school, Banff Centre is shaping artistic practices globally through education, creation, and performance.
banffcentre.ca
WELCOME
9
BANFF CENTRE FOR ARTS AND CREATIVITY
It’s my pleasure to welcome you to Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity for the 13th Banff International String Quartet Competition (BISQC). It’s an exciting time at Banff Centre. Thanks to the generosity of former Chair of the Board of Governors Jenny Belzberg (1987-1991) and her family, we will be renovating the Eric Harvie Theatre this fall for completion in 2020. When you return to the 2022 Competition you will enjoy better seating, sightlines, and acoustics. We also extend our thanks to the Azrieli Foundation, and the many passionate individuals, corporations, foundations, and partners who make this competition possible. Enjoy the music and the excitement of this amazing competition.
Photo by Colin Way.
Sincerely,
Janice Price President and Chief Executive Officer
It is an honour to experience my first Banff International String Quartet Competition as the Vice President of Arts and Leadership. I joined Banff Centre 18 months ago, and it is a job of a lifetime. I first came to Banff Centre as a young bassist 40 years ago, and have visited the campus nearly every year since. This competition changes lives, and creates many opportunities for young musicians. I was pleased to attend the debut of the Rolston String Quartet at Carnegie Hall last December in New York, when they spoke from the stage about how their experience at Banff Centre, and winning the competition in 2016 had been a major catalyst in their young careers. We want all of the musicians here for the competition to experience the same success. Please enjoy this week of extraordinary music, as together we celebrate the world’s best emerging string quartets. Sincerely,
Howard R. Jang Vice President of Arts and Leadership
Photo by Chris Amat.
WELCOME
CO M P E T I T I O N D I R E C TO R
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Our Alumni Concert brings together 2016 Laureates the Rolston Quartet, and Nicolas Namoradze, winner of the 2018 Honens Piano Competition, in their first ever collaboration. Making their long overdue Banff Centre debut, the groundbreaking Kronos Quartet will perform as part of their live documentary film event, A Thousand Thoughts. For those not able to be with us, The Violin Channel, our 2019 livestream media partner, will be streaming all of the performances and providing competition updates to our growing online community.
Dear Friends,
Photo by Donald Lee.
Welcome to Banff Centre for the 13th Banff International String Quartet Competition. Over seven days, ten of the finest young quartets in the world fill our campus with exhilarating performances as they dream of winning the most coveted prize in chamber music. This year we are thrilled to welcome the Azrieli Foundation as our lead supporter. Their generous support allows for the most comprehensive career development program to date, including concert tours in North America and Europe, recordings, and artistic collaborations. Additionally, we welcome our new partner, Southern Methodist University that has offered an extraordinary, two-year visiting residency at the Meadows School of the Arts in Dallas.
BISQC’s passionate and supportive audience has become legendary. With such a wealth of opportunity on the line, the stakes are high, and the quartets feel the stress of delivering to their fullest potential. The warmth and enthusiasm of the BISQC audience helps the musicians deliver at their highest calibre and they will leave Banff having seen the impact their music has on our lives, inspired to continue their journey of artistic growth. I thank you all for being with us and wish you a joyous week at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.
Barry Shiffman Director of BISQC
BANFF INTERNATIONAL STRING QUARTET COMPETITION
Rolston String Quartet, winners of BISQC 2016. Photo by Rita Taylor.
bisqc.ca
ABOUT THE COMPETITION
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HISTORY OF BISQC
Since 1983 the Banff International String Quartet Competition (BISQC) has celebrated the art of chamber music while providing unparalleled career support for emerging string quartets. Intended as a one-time special event, the first BISQC was held in 1983 to mark Banff Centre’s 50th anniversary. The outstanding success of the first competition inspired organizers to make BISQC a triennial event that is now recognized world-wide. This week, during the 13th BISQC, 10 of the world’s best emerging string quartets take centre stage, each performing 4 programmes over 12 concerts for a distinguished jury, an eager audience, and for each other in a quest to win this prestigious international music competition. Culminating with “Finals” on Sunday, the top 3 quartets each perform a full Beethoven quartet. Additionally, two special events will be presented: an alumni concert with the Rolston String Quartet and Honens Laureate Nicolas Namoradze, and a magical evening with the Kronos Quartet as they make their Banff Centre debut, presenting A Thousand Thoughts – A Live Documentary.
BISQC LAUREATES
The list of BISQC winners reads as a “who’s who” of the world’s most outstanding string quartets: 2016
Rolston String Quartet
2013
Dover Quartet
2010
Cecilia String Quartet
2007
Tinalley String Quartet
2004 Jupiter String Quartet 2001
Daedalus Quartet
1998
Miró Quartet
1995
Amernet String Quartet
1992
St. Lawrence String Quartet
1989
Quatuor Manfred
1986
Franciscan Quartet
1983
Colorado Quartet
ABOUT THE COMPETITION
14
THE BISQC PROCESS
Applications from quartets were received from around the world through an online application portal, then reviewed and scored by our three preliminary jurors: Christopher Costanza, Jonathan Crow, and Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt. Following an extensive review of the initial scores, Barry Shiffman, Director of BISQC, and Dr. Moses Renert, BISQC Official Mathematician, led the preliminary jurors through a comprehensive review process to select the 10 competing quartets. The competition is open to string quartets whose members are under the age of 35 on August 26, 2019. The quartets were asked to submit a high quality unedited recording containing two contrasting movements of selected Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven quartets; the first movement of a quartet from the Romantic or Nationalist repertoire of the 19th century or Debussy, Ravel or Elgar Quartet; and a complete 20th century work. Almost an hour’s worth of music, the repertoire shows the quartet’s range and ability. Once the invited quartets had confirmed their participation, the names of the quartets were announced to our audience and the world during BISQC's first ever livestreamed competition announcement event. Travel, accommodation, and meals are paid for by BISQC to ensure that each quartet can attend the competition.
SELECTING A WINNER
While in Banff, each of the 10 competing quartets perform programmes they have created through a combination of selections from a specific, yet extensive, repertoire list and music of their own choosing that highlights their strengths as a quartet. These works are performed during four distinct rounds: the Recital Round (Monday and Tuesday), Romantic Round (Wednesday and Thursday), Canadian Commission Round (Friday), and Schubertplus Round (Saturday). The jury then chooses three quartets to advance to the fifth and final round on Sunday, September 1. The competition jury voting is completed under the guidance of the BISQC Official Mathematician, Dr. Moses Renert, who is recognized for his expertise in designing similar jury voting procedures for other competitions. The BISQC scoring system, based on the “Optimal Jury Scoring System” copyright number 459777 by Dr. Ernst Enns and Dr. Moses Renert, ensures absolute fairness to all competing quartets.
BANFF INTERNATIONAL STRING QUARTET COMPETITION
Aeolus Quartet performing during BISQC 2016. Photo by Donald Lee.
bisqc.ca
ABOUT THE COMPETITION
JURY VOTING PROCEDURES
The Competition Jury has these tasks: 1. To choose the winner of the R.S. Williams & Sons Haydn Prize for the best performance of a Haydn quartet. 2. To choose the winner of the Canadian Commission Prize, in honour of the R.S. Williams & Sons Company for the best performance of the commissioned Canadian composition.
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The criteria for choosing the winning quartets are: 1. The winning quartet should be ready to take full advantage of an international performing career, commensurate with the career development program of the competition. 2. The winning quartet should have an abundance of technical skill and a unique artistic voice and presence. Immediately after the Final Round is completed, the Jurors convene for a voting session. The Official Mathematician constructs a weighted ranking using the following percentage weights: Recital Round: the Haydn quartet:
14%
Recital Round: the 20th-century quartet:
13%
3. To choose three quartets for the Final Round after four rounds of competition.
The Romantic quartet:
13%
The Schubertplus Round:
14%
4. To rank the three prize winners after the completion of the Final Round.
The Final Round:
25%
The Canadian Commission:
8%
Overall impression of all competition rounds: 13%
Full voting procedures and Official Rules and Regulations can be found on bisqc.ca
WELCOME
17
Photo by Kenniku Tolato.
QUARTET BIOGRAPHIES
BANFF INTERNATIONAL
Photo by Josef Samuel.
STRING QUARTET COMPETITION
bisqc.ca
QUARTET BIOGRAPHIES
Grand prize winners of the 2018 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, the Callisto Quartet was formed in 2016 at the Cleveland Institute of Music and brings together four dedicated and passionate musicians who share a love for chamber music. Highlights of their achievements include recognition as a top prize winner at the 2018 Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition where they were also the only North American quartet selected to compete. Additionally, they were prize winners at the 2018 Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition and are one of six quartets in the world selected to compete in the 2019 Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition. Beginning in the fall of 2019 they will serve as the Graduate String Quartet in Residence at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. They have also been invited to study with GĂźnter Pichler of the Alban Berg Quartet at the Escuela Superior de Musica Reina Sofia in Madrid, Spain. Highlights of their recent performances include appearances at Ravinia Festival, ChamberFest Cleveland, and on the Schneider Concert Series. They look forward to performing at the La Jolla Music Society SummerFest this summer as well as at the Heidelberg String Quartet Festival in January 2020. The quartet has participated and performed in many renowned chamber music festivals such as the Prussia Cove International Musicians Seminar, Jeunesses Musicales International Chamber Music Campus, McGill International String Quartet Academy, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, and the Shouse Institute of the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival.
callistoquartet.com
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C A L L I STO Q U A R T E T USA
Paul Aguilar, violin Rachel Stenzel, violin Eva Kennedy, viola Hannah Moses, cello
BANFF INTERNATIONAL
Photo by Thomas Stimmel.
STRING QUARTET COMPETITION
bisqc.ca
QUARTET BIOGRAPHIES
E L I OT Q U A R T E T T G E R M A N Y/ R U S S I A
Maryana Osipova, violin Alexander Sachs, violin Dmitry Hahalin, viola Michael Preuß , cello
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The Eliot Quartett was founded in 2014 and has become one of the most engaging and promising string quartets of its generation. Hailing from Canada, Germany, and Russia, the quartet’s members formed the group in Frankfurt am Main and have since gone on to win prizes at major national and international music competitions. In 2018 the quartet completed a tour-de-force of the music competition world, becoming the first quartet in 14 years to win the Prize of the German Music Competition as well as three additional special prizes, winning second prize at both the Mozart International Competition in Salzburg and the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, and capping it off by winning first prize and the special prize for the best interpretation of a piece by Karol Szymanowski at the inaugural International Karol Szymanowski Competition in Katowice, Poland. Highlights of the quartet’s current concert season include performances at the Schubertiade in Schwarzenberg, Austria, the Bachfest Leipzig, and at the Holzhausenschlösschen in Frankfurt. The Eliot Quartett has received valuable musical guidance from Günter Pichler, Tim Vogler, Hubert Buchberger, Valentin Erben, Oliver Wille, and Martin Beaver, and enjoys a close working relationship with the esteemed pianist Alfred Brendel. The Eliot Quartett is named after the American poet T. S. Eliot whose famous work Four Quartets was inspired by the innovative late Quartets by Ludwig van Beethoven. Eliot, like Beethoven, attempted to establish a connection between past, present, and future by breaking away from the accepted classical forms of the time.
eliotquartett.com
BANFF INTERNATIONAL
bisqc.ca
Photo by Marco Borggreve.
STRING QUARTET COMPETITION
QUARTET BIOGRAPHIES
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Winners of the Grand Prize at the 2019 Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition, the Marmen Quartet is emerging as one of the most interesting voices on the chamber music scene. Additional accolades include winning the 2018 Royal Over-Seas League Competition and Second Prize at the 8th International Joseph Joachim Chamber Music Competition, as well as the Special Prize for the best interpretation of a contemporary work (The Four Quarters by Thomas Adès). The quartet was founded in 2013 at the Royal College of Music, London. As the current holders of the Guildhall School of Music String Quartet Fellowship, they are based in London studying with Simon Rowland-Jones and John Myerscough. They are also completing a Master of Chamber Music with Oliver Wille at the Hochschule fßr Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover. During 2015-17, they were the inaugural winners of Music In The Round's 'Bridge' Scheme, which supports concerts in the north of England and mentoring with the late Peter Cropper. The Marmen Quartet has appeared on Deutschlandfunk Kultur, Swedish Radio and BBC Radio 3. They are the Young Quartet in Residence at Wiltshire Music Centre and have received awards from the Musicians Company/Concordia Foundation, the Hattori Foundation, Help Musicians, as well as the Royal Philharmonic Society Albert and Eugenie Frost Prize. Festival highlights include performances in Hitzacker, Lockenhaus, Edinburgh Fringe, North Norfolk, and Lake District. In the upcoming season, they are looking forward to a Beethoven Cycle in Sweden, debut in the Berlin Philharmonie, Cruise to Norway, tour to Japan, and octet performances with the Doric String Quartet.
marmenquartet.com
MARMEN QUARTET UNITED KINGDOM
Johannes Marmen, violin Ricky Gore, violin Bryony Gibson-Cornish, viola Steffan Morris, cello
BANFF INTERNATIONAL
Photo by Matt Dine.
STRING QUARTET COMPETITION
bisqc.ca
QUARTET BIOGRAPHIES
OMER QUARTET USA
Mason Yu, violin Erica Tursi, violin Jinsun Hong, viola Alexander Cox, cello
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The Omer Quartet recently gave their Washington DC and New York City debuts as first prize winners of the Young Concert Artists Auditions. The quartet came into prominence in 2013 when it received Grand Prize at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. They later received prizes at the Premio Paolo Borciani Competition, the Trondheim International Chamber Competition, and the Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition. The Omer Quartet has performed with David Krakauer, Kim Kashkashian, Clive Greensmith, Soovin Kim, Cho-Liang Lin, the Assad Brothers, and the Borromeo String Quartet. The quartet currently serves as the 2018-19 Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence at New York’s Caramoor Center for Music and Arts, and was Chamber Ensemble in Residence at the 2018 Bravo! Vail Music Festival and the 2019 Chamber Music Abu Dhabi. Their upcoming season includes program collaborations with accordionist Hanzhi Wang. Committed to community engagement, the quartet inaugurated a Music for Food concert series in the Washington DC area with the mission to support local hunger relief with a Tarisio Trust Young Artists Grant. Following study at the Cleveland Institute of Music, the Omer Quartet completed a graduate residency at the New England Conservatory, working closely with Paul Katz, Donald Weilerstein, Kim Kashkashian, and Soovin Kim. The quartet is currently the Doctoral Fellowship String Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Maryland, working with Katherine Murdock and David Salness.
omerquartet.com
BANFF INTERNATIONAL
Photo by Neda Navaee.
STRING QUARTET COMPETITION
bisqc.ca
QUARTET BIOGRAPHIES
After studying at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris and the Hochschule für Musik “Hanns Eisler” Berlin, the Agate Quartet moved to Paris at the start of 2018 to study under the guidance of Mathieu Herzog, former violist with the Ebène Quartet. The quartet also studies with Luc-Marie Aguera at the Conservatoire de Paris. They have participated in renowned chamber music academies such as Verbier Festival Academy, the Montreal International String Quartet Academy (MISQA), the Aix-en-Provence Academy with acclaimed teachers that include Günter Pichler, Gerhard Schulz, Valentin Erben, Tabea Zimmerman, Christoph Poppen, and the Ysaÿe, Talich, and Volger Quartets. The Agate Quartet organized the first CorsiClassic Festival in 2016, based around Corsica, France with a mission to promote chamber music in areas where classical music is rarely available. The quartet has been invited to perform in several international festivals and venues: Hamburg International Chamber Music Festival, Les Vacances de Monsieur Haydn, Festival La Brèche, Konzertverein Schwerin, Quatuor à l’Ouest, Cité de la Musique de Marseille, with partners such as Florent Héau, Ivan Karizna, and Raphaël Chrétien. 2019 will see the quartet perform in the Verbier Festival Academy, Les Rencontres Musicales d’Evian, La Brèche Festival, and Casale Monferrato Festival. From 2018, The Agate Quartet has been in residence at the Fondation Singer-Polignac and selected to take part in the Le Dimore del Quartetto project. In 2019, the quartet will become a resident of ProQuartet and associate-artist at the Festival La Brèche.
quatuoragate.com
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Q U AT U O R AG AT E FRANCE
Adrien Jurkovic, violin Thomas Descamps, violin Raphael Pagnon, viola Simon Iachemet, cello
BANFF INTERNATIONAL
Photo by Bernard Martinez.
STRING QUARTET COMPETITION
bisqc.ca
QUARTET BIOGRAPHIES
Q U AT U O R E L M I R E FRANCE
Cyprien Brod, violin Khoa-Nam Nguyen, violin Issey Nadaud, viola Rémi Carlon, cello
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Created in December 2016, the Quatuor Elmire has performed throughout Europe and participated in several competitions. The Quatuor was granted the 2nd Prize at the FNAPEC European competition in France, the 2nd and special Prize ‘Adolfo Betti’ at the Concorso Virtuoso & Belcanto in Italy and the Rheingau Music Festival Prize at the Jeunesses Musicales International Chamber Music Campus in Germany. The Quatuor Elmire has also played concerts with prestigious artists such as Julien Gernay, Victor Metral, Claire Désert, Philippe Graffin, Trio Atanassov, and has worked with composers Eric Tanguy and Doryan E. Rappaz with whom they created the ‘ClassicArte Festival’. The Quatuor Elmire is mentored by LucMarie Aguera and Philippe Bernhard. The Quatuor has also received advice and guidance from the members of the Quatuor Ebène, Quatuor Modigliani, Quatuor Danel as well as Heime Muller, Tim Vogler, and András Keller. It is helped and advised by the Proquartet, an association that promotes young ensembles in France, and by the Dimore del Quartetto Association in Italy. For 2019, the Quatuor Elmire will be ensemble in residence at the Festival des Arcs and at the Aix-en-Provence Academy. The Quatuor Elmire is supported by the Moreno and Adelus family and the Luthier, Christophe Destannes.
lequatuorelmire.wordpress.com
BANFF INTERNATIONAL
bisqc.ca
Photo by Mike Terry.
STRING QUARTET COMPETITION
QUARTET BIOGRAPHIES
31
Winners of the Royal Philharmonic Society award for Young British String Players, the critically-acclaimed Ruisi Quartet has established a reputation as a charismatic and expressive ensemble that is emerging as one of the leading British string quartets of its generation. Founded in 2013 by brothers Alessandro and Max, the quartet performs regularly throughout the UK and Europe and were winners of the Kirckman Concert Society Artists award for 2018/19, as well as being invited on the prestigious Belcea Quartet Young Artists Scheme. Based in London, the group has given concerts at many leading venues and festivals, including Wigmore Hall, plus appearances in Spain, Germany, and Austria. Dedicated to continually exploring and developing, they have studied with a wide-range of leading musicians, including a 2018 Aldeburgh Residency with David Watkin and the IMS Prussia Cove masterclasses, working with Thomas Adés in 2018 and Ferenc Rados & Rita Wagner in 2015. They completed the Artist Diploma in Chamber Music at London’s Royal College of Music and in the same year were selected as Tunnell Trust Award winners. Recent highlights have included a debut at the prestigious St John’s Smith Square in London and live broadcast performances on BBC Radio 3.
ruisiquartet.com
RUISI QUARTET UNITED KINGDOM
Alessandro Ruisi, violin Oliver Cave, violin Luba Tunnicliffe, viola Max Ruisi, cello
BANFF INTERNATIONAL
bisqc.ca
Photo by Matthew Holler.
STRING QUARTET COMPETITION
QUARTET BIOGRAPHIES
U LYS S E S Q U A R T E T CANADA / USA / TAIWAN
Christina Bouey, violin Rhiannon Banerdt, violin Colin Brookes, viola Grace Mei-En Ho, cello
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Founded in the summer of 2015, the group won first prize in the 2018 Schoenfeld International String Competition and the grand prize and gold medal in the senior string division of the 2016 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. Ulysses also finished first in the American Prize and won second prize at the Osaka International Chamber Music Competition in 2017. In 2019, they were named Graduate Quartet in Residence at the Juilliard School and have recently signed with Judson Management Group, Inc. for exclusive worldwide representation. Recent season highlights have included appearances at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, La Jolla Music Society Summerfest, debuts at Premiere Performances Hong Kong, Harbin Grand Theatre, Taiwan National Recital Hall, the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, and the Vietnam Connection Festival, as well as a quartet residency for the Zukerman Young Artist Program. Upcoming engagements include a debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Buffalo Chamber Music Society, Eastman School of Music, and a return to Jordan Hall. The members of Ulysses hold degrees from the Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, New England Conservatory, and Yale University. The musicians perform on instruments and bows graciously on loan from the Canada Council of the Arts Instrument Bank and the Maestro Foundation.
ulyssesquartet.com
BANFF INTERNATIONAL
bisqc.ca
Photo by Ryan Brandenberg.
STRING QUARTET COMPETITION
QUARTET BIOGRAPHIES
35
The Vera Quartet shares the uniquely democratic dynamic of a string quartet with diverse audiences within and beyond the concert hall. Winners of the 2018 Astral Artists National Auditions, the Vera Quartet is currently the String Quartet in Residence at the Curtis Institute of Music. The quartet received Grand Prizes at recent Plowman and Yellow Springs chamber music competitions, top prizes from the M-Prize Chamber Arts Competition, and the St. Lawrence award from the Wigmore Hall String Quartet Competition. Formed in 2015, the quartet has held residencies at the Beethovenhaus, Aspen Music Festival, Norfolk Festival, McGill International String Quartet Academy, and Banff Centre. The quartet has also embarked on tours of Spain and South Korea. In April 2017, they were selected as Young Artist in Residence at NPR’s Performance Today. Highlights of the 2018-19 season include residencies at the Rockport Chamber Music Festival and the Intimacy of Creativity Festival in Hong Kong, as well as a faculty residency at the San Juan Music Academy in San Juan, Argentina. The quartet has worked with the Pacifica Quartet as the Graduate Quartet in Residence at the Jacobs School of Music. They have also been mentored by members of the Guarneri, Juilliard, Cleveland, Brentano, Orion, and Tokyo quartets, as well as Atar Arad, Mauricio Fuks, and Peter Stumpf. The ensemble firmly believes in the power of chamber music to transform people, and to ultimately contribute towards a just, egalitarian, and inclusive society.
veraquartet.com
VERA QUARTET SPAIN / USA
Rebecca Anderson, violin Pedro Rodríguez Rodríguez , violin Inés Picado Molares, viola Justin Goldsmith, cello
BANFF INTERNATIONAL
Photo by Jeff Fasano Photography.
STRING QUARTET COMPETITION
bisqc.ca
QUARTET BIOGRAPHIES
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The Viano String Quartet won Third Prize at the 2018 Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition along with the Sidney Griller award for best performance of the compulsory work, The Four Quarters by Thomas Adès, and the Haydn Prize for the best performance of a Haydn string quartet.
V I A N O ST R I N G QUARTET CANADA/USA
Lucy Wang, violin Hao Zhou, violin Aiden Kane, viola Tate Zawadiuk, cello
The Viano String Quartet was formed in 2015 at the Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles and has since performed with Emanuel Ax, Elisso Virsaladze, Paul Coletti, and Martin Beaver. As firm believers in community engagement, in recent years the quartet has participated in the “Play It Forward” Residency in Bellingham, WA, a residency at the North Michigan University, and repeat performances of “Over the Top”, a Musical Encounter Interactive performance for thousands of children in Los Angeles. The quartet has attended the St. Lawrence String Quartet Seminar, and the Norfolk and MISQA summer festivals. Highlights of the upcoming 2019-20 season include the quartet’s debut at the Schneider Concert Series at The New School in NYC and the Vancouver Chamber Music Society. The quartet works primarily with Martin Beaver, Clive Greensmith, and Arnold Steinhardt, and will be the Quartetin-Residence at the Colburn Conservatory beginning in fall 2019. The Viano String Quartet won Third Prize at the 9th Osaka International Chamber Music Competition in 2017 and the Silver Medal at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.
vianostringquartet.com
Banff Centre is inspiration gone wild. Banff Centre is untamed creativity. Banff Centre is .
Experience Art in the Rockies.
banffcentre.ca
Photo by Ryan Stone.
CO N C E R T SCHEDULE
SCHEDULE
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CONCERT SCHEDULE Eric Harvie Theatre
DAY 1
DAY 2
DAY 3
Monday August 26
Tuesday August 27
Wednesday August 28
Recital Round
Recital Round
Romantic Round
Quartets perform a recital of Haydn and a quartet written after 1905.
Quartets perform a recital of Haydn and a quartet written after 1905.
Concert 1 2 p.m.
Concert 3 10:30 a.m.
Quartets perform a complete quartet from the Romantic or Nationalist repertoire.
Concert 2 7:30 p.m.
Concert 4 2 p.m.
Concert 5 7:30 p.m.
Concert 6 2 p.m. Concert 7 7:30 p.m.
NOTE: Performances will start on time. Latecomers will be seated at the discretion of the Front of House staff.
SCHEDULE
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For tickets to BISQC 2019 events, contact Banff Centre Box Office at 1.800.413.8368 or visit bisqc.ca
DAY 4
DAY 5
DAY 6
DAY 7
Thursday August 29
Friday August 30
Saturday August 31
Sunday September 1
Romantic Round
Canadian Commission Round
Schubertplus Round
Finals
Quartets perform a complete quartet from the Romantic or Nationalist repertoire. Concert 8 10 a.m.
Alumni Concert Featuring 2016 First Place Laureates Rolston String Quartet performing with Nicolas Namoradze, Nobuko Imai, and Adrian Fung. Concert 9 8 p.m.
The alumni concert is generously supported by Christopher R. Head.
All quartets perform newly commissioned Bright Ferment by Matthew Whittall. Concert 10 10 a.m.
Special Event A Thousand Thoughts – A Live Documentary with Kronos Quartet Oscar-nominated filmmakers Sam Green and Joe Bini have teamed up with Grammywinning Kronos Quartet for a wildly creative multimedia performance. Concert 11 8 p.m.
Quartets perform 1st movement of one of Schubert's late quartets plus additional repertoire of their choosing. Concert 12 10:30 a.m. Concert 13 2 p.m. Concert 14 7:30 p.m.
Announcement of the three finalists following jury deliberation.
The three finalists perform a quartet by Beethoven. Concert 15 2 p.m.
Award Ceremony following jury deliberation.
M O N D AY, A U G U S T 2 6
DAY 1 Recital Round Concert 1 2 p.m.
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CALLISTO QUARTET String Quartet in G Major, Op. 77 No. 1 (1799)
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 – 1809)
Allegro Moderato Adagio Menuetto. Presto – Trio Finale. Presto
NOTES: String Quartet No. 1, ‘Métamorphoses nocturnes’ (1954)
György Ligeti (1923 – 2006)
Allegro grazioso Vivace, capriccioso A tempo Adagio, mesto Presto – Prestissimo molto sostenuto – Andante tranquillo Più mosso Tempo di Valse, moderato, con eleganza, un poco capriccioso Subito prestissimo Subito: molto sostenuto Allegretto, un poco gioviale Allarg. Poco più mosso Subito allegro con moto, string. poco a poco sin al prestissimo Prestissimo Allegro comodo, gioviale Sostenuto, accelerando – Ad libitum, senza misura Lento INTERMISSION
OMER QUARTET String Quartet in C Major, Op. 20 No. 2 (1772)
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 – 1809)
Moderato Adagio Menuetto. Allegretto - Trio Fuga a 4 Soggetti. Allegro
String Quartet No. 3, Sz. 85 (1927) Prima parte: Moderato Seconda parte: Allegro Recapitulazione della prima parte: Moderato Coda: Allegro molto
Béla Bartók (1881 – 1945)
M O N D AY, A U G U S T 2 6
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Q U AT U O R E L M I R E String Quartet in D Major, Op. 76 No. 5 (1797)
DAY 1 Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 – 1809)
Allegretto Largo. Cantabile e mesto Menuetto. Allegro - Trio Finale. Presto
Recital Round Concert 2 7:30 p.m.
NOTES:
String Quartet No. 2, Sz. 67 (1917)
Béla Bartók (1881 – 1945)
Moderato Allegro molto capriccioso Lento INTERMISSION
U LY S S E S Q U A R T E T String Quartet in B Minor, Op. 33 No. 1 (1781)
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 – 1809)
Allegro moderato Scherzo. Allegro di molto Andante Finale. Presto
String Quartet No. 5, Sz. 102 (1934) Allegro Adagio molto Scherzo: alla bulgarese Andante Finale: Allegro vivace
Béla Bartók (1881 – 1945)
T U E S D AY, A U G U S T 2 7
DAY 2 Recital Round Concert 3 10:30 a.m.
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VERA QUARTET String Quartet in G Major, Op. 76 No. 1 (1797)
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 – 1809)
Allegro con spirito Adagio sostenuto Menuetto. Presto - Trio Allegro ma non troppo
NOTES: String Quartet No. 3, Sz. 85 (1927)
Béla Bartók (1881 – 1945)
Prima parte: Moderato Seconda parte: Allegro Recapitulazione della prima parte: Moderato Coda: Allegro molto INTERMISSION
VIANO STRING QUARTET String Quartet in G Major, Op. 77 No. 1 (1799)
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 – 1809)
Allegro Moderato Adagio Menuetto. Presto – Trio Finale. Presto
String Quartet No. 4, Sz. 91 (1928) Allegro Prestissimo, con sordino Non troppo lento Allegretto pizzicato Allegro molto
Béla Bartók (1881 – 1945)
T U E S D AY, A U G U S T 2 7
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E L I OT Q U A R T E T T String Quartet in C Major, Op. 20 No. 2 (1772)
DAY 2 Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 – 1809)
Moderato Adagio Menuetto. Allegretto - Trio Fuga a 4 Soggetti. Allegro
Recital Round Concert 4 2 p.m.
NOTES:
String Quartet No. 2, Op. 56 (1927)
Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937)
Moderato, dolce e tranquillo Vivace scherzando Lento INTERMISSION
RUISI QUARTET String Quartet in F minor, Op. 20 No. 5 (1772)
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 – 1809)
Allegro moderato Menuetto - Trio Adagio Finale. Fuga a 2 Soggetti
String Quartet No. 2, Sz. 67 (1917) Moderato Allegro molto capriccioso Lento
Béla Bartók (1881 – 1945)
T U E S D AY, A U G U S T 2 7
DAY 2 Recital Round Concert 5 7:30 p.m.
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MARMEN QUARTET String Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 50 No. 1 (1787)
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 – 1809)
Allegro Adagio non lento Menuetto. Poco Allegretto - Trio Finale. Vivace
NOTES: String Quartet No. 1, ‘Métamorphoses nocturnes’ (1954)
György Ligeti (1923 – 2006)
Allegro grazioso Vivace, capriccioso A tempo Adagio, mesto Presto – Prestissimo molto sostenuto – Andante tranquillo Più mosso Tempo di Valse, moderato, con eleganza, un poco capriccioso Subito prestissimo Subito: molto sostenuto Allegretto, un poco gioviale Allarg. Poco più mosso Subito allegro con moto, string. poco a poco sin al prestissimo Prestissimo Allegro comodo, gioviale Sostenuto, accelerando – Ad libitum, senza misura Lento INTERMISSION
Q U AT U O R AG AT E String Quartet in D Major, Op. 76 No. 5 (1797)
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 – 1809)
Allegretto Largo. Cantabile e mesto Menuetto. Allegro - Trio Finale. Presto
String Quartet No. 3, Sz. 85 (1927) Prima parte: Moderato Seconda parte: Allegro Recapitulazione della prima parte: Moderato Coda: Allegro molt
Béla Bartók (1881 – 1945)
Photo by Chi Liu.
W E D N E S D AY, A U G U S T 2 8
DAY 3 Romantic Round Concert 6 2 p.m.
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VERA QUARTET String Quartet in F Major (1903)
Maurice Ravel (1875 – 1937)
Allegro moderato Assez vif, très rythmé Très lent Vif et agité
NOTES:
Q U AT U O R E L M I R E String Quartet No. 6 in F minor, Op. 80 (1847)
Felix Mendelssohn (1809 – 1847)
Allegro vivace assai Allegro assai Adagio Finale: Allegro molto INTERMISSION
VIANO STRING QUARTET String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10 (1893) Animé et très décidé Assez vif et bien rythmé Andantino, doucement expressif Très modéré
Claude Debussy (1862 – 1918)
W E D N E S D AY, A U G U S T 2 8
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MARMEN QUARTET String Quartet No. 6 in F minor, Op. 80 (1847)
DAY 3 Felix Mendelssohn (1809 – 1847)
Allegro vivace assai Allegro assai Adagio Finale: Allegro molto
NOTES:
Johannes Brahms (1833 – 1897)
Vivace Andante Agitato (Allegretto non troppo) – Trio - Coda Poco Allegretto con Variazioni INTERMISSION
Q U AT U O R A G AT E String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10 (1893)
Claude Debussy (1862 – 1918)
Animé et très décidé Assez vif et bien rythmé Andantino, doucement expressif Très modéré
RUISI QUARTET String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 13 (1827) Adagio- Allegro vivace Adagio non lento Intermezzo: Allegretto con moto – Allegro di molto Presto – Adagio non lento
Concert 7 7:30 p.m.
OMER QUARTET String Quartet No. 3 in B-flat Major, Op. 67 (1875)
Romantic Round
Felix Mendelssohn (1809 – 1847)
T H U R S D AY, A U G U S T 2 9
DAY 4 Romantic Round Concert 8 10 a.m.
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ELIOT QUARTETT String Quartet No. 6 in F minor, Op. 80 (1847)
Felix Mendelssohn (1809 – 1847)
Allegro vivace assai Allegro assai Adagio Finale: Allegro molto
NOTES:
U LYS S E S Q U A R T E T String Quartet in F Major (1903)
Maurice Ravel (1875 – 1937)
Allegro moderato Assez vif, très rythmé Très lent Vif et agité INTERMISSION
CALLISTO QUARTET String Quartet No. 14 in A-flat Major, Op. 105 (1895) Adagio ma non troppo—Allegro appassionato Molto vivace Lento e molto cantabile Finale: Allegro non tanto
Antonín Dvořák (1841 – 1904)
T H U R S D AY, A U G U S T 2 9
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ALUMNI CONCERT
DAY 4 Alumni Concert
Nicolas Namoradze, piano
Concert 9 8 p.m.
Rolston String Quartet
Luri Lee, violin
Features 2018 Honens International Piano Competition winner Nicolas Namoradze with 2016 BISQC First Prize laureates Rolston String Quartet along with distinguished jury members Nobuko Imai and Adrian Fung.
Emily Kruspe, violin Hezekiah Leung, viola Jonathan Lo, cello Piano Quintet in F minor (1879)
César Franck
(1822-1890)
Molto moderato quasi lento – Allegro Lento con molto sentimento Allegro non troppo ma con fuoco INTERMISSION
Nobuko Imai, viola Adrian Fung, cello Rolston String Quartet String Sextet in D minor “Souvenir de Florence”, Op. 70 (1890)
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Allegro con spirito Adagio cantabile e con moto Allegretto moderato Allegro con brio e vivace
The alumni concert is generously supported by Christopher R. Head.
(1840-1893)
F R I D AY, A U G U S T 3 0
DAY 5 Canadian Commission Round
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BRIGHT FERMENT (STRING QUARTET NO. 2) (2019)
Concert 10 10 a.m.
All 10 quartets perform the world premiere of Bright Ferment (String Quartet no. 2) by Matthew Whittall.
NOTES:
Matthew Whittall – Program Notes I have a complicated history with the string quartet. Actually, it’s not that complicated. I spent months writing a huge one in my early twenties and hastily withdrew it after a long delayed premiere, vowing never to write another. In a typical case of karmic retribution, my fear of the form would eventually be overcome by the unrefusable offer to write the compulsory piece for the Banff International String Quartet Competition in my native Canada. The short duration requested, about nine minutes, also felt like a good way to wade gingerly back into the medium. The title was originally just a nice-sounding pair of words that surfaced in a brainstorming session with fellow composer Alex Freeman over an injudicious amount of fermented barley. When I looked it up later, I found that it was a phrase of older coinage, seemingly used more for poetic resonance than any fixed meaning. “Ferment” by itself denotes a state of confusion, change or lack of order. With “bright”, it takes on a more positive connotation with regard to society and creativity: a wild profusion of ideas barely checked by reason. (It may not actually mean that, but it describes this piece nicely, so let’s go with it.) Fermentation in its trendy culinary usage is also hinted at via a recurrent “percolating” device of scattered pizzicati. As one may guess from the tone of this introduction, there is little attempt at gravity in Bright Ferment, the only means by which I felt I could sidestep the historical and expressive weight of the string quartet genre. Styles, gestures, and moods are tossed around, cross-cut, and abandoned in stream-of-consciousness fashion, connected by little except an intuitive sense of “rightness” in their juxtaposition. If the piece acquires depth in spite of me, it will only be because its disparate parts amplify and strengthen each other simply by being together – much like the ensemble itself.
Bright Ferment was commissioned by Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, with additional funding from the Americas Society (New York), for the 2019 Banff International String Quartet Competition.
F R I D AY, A U G U S T 3 0
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WORLD PREMIERE Omer Quartet (USA) Callisto Quartet (USA) Ruisi Quartet (United Kingdom) Ulysses Quartet (Canada/USA/Taiwan) Quatuor Agate (France) INTERMISSION
Viano String Quartet (Canada/USA) Marmen Quartet (United Kingdom) Vera Quartet (Spain/USA) Quatuor Elmire (France) Eliot Quartett (Germany/Russia/Canada)
DAY 5 Canadian Commission Round Concert 10 10 a.m.
All 10 quartets perform the world premiere of Bright Ferment (String Quartet no. 2) by Matthew Whittall.
NOTES:
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Photo by Jay Blakesberg.
F R I D AY, A U G U S T 3 0
F R I D AY, A U G U S T 3 0
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A THOUSAND THOUGHTS – A LIVE DOCUMENTARY WITH KRONOS QUARTET
Kronos Quartet
DAY 5
David Harrington, violin John Sherba, violin Hank Dutt, viola Sunny Yang, cello Sam Green and Joe Bini, filmmakers Brian H. Scott, lighting design Scott Fraser, sound design Oscar-nominated filmmakers Sam Green and Joe Bini have teamed up with Grammy-winning Kronos Quartet for a wildly creative multimedia performance piece that blends live music and narration with archival footage and filmed interviews with prominent artists. For full program details, please refer to program insert available at the concert on August 30.
A Thousand Thoughts – A Live Documentary with Kronos Quartet Concert 11 8 p.m.
S A T U R D AY, A U G U S T 3 1
DAY 6 Schubertplus Round
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RUISI QUARTET Fantasias in Four Parts (1680)
Henry Purcell (1659 – 1695)
Fantasia, Z. 737 in F Major Fantasia, Z. 739 in D minor Fantasia, Z. 741 in E minor
Concert 12 10:30 a.m.
NOTES:
Three Pieces for String Quartet (1914)
Igor Stravinsky (1882 – 1971)
String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, ‘Death and the Maiden’, D. 810 (1824)
Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828)
Allegro
U LYS S E S Q U A R T E T String Quartet No.15 in G Major, D. 887 (1826)
Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828)
Allegro molto moderato
String Quartet No.10 in A-flat Major, Op. 118 (1964)
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)
Adagio
String Quartet No.2 “From the Monkey Mountains”, Op. 7 (1925) Landscape (Andante) INTERMISSION
Pavel Haas (1899-1944)
S A T U R D AY, A U G U S T 3 1
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E L I OT Q U A R T E T T String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, ‘Death and the Maiden’, D. 810 (1824)
DAY 6 Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828)
Allegro
String Quartet No. 2 in F Major, Op 92 (1941) Adagio Allegro
Schubertplus Round
Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)
Concert 12 10:30 a.m.
NOTES:
S A T U R D AY, A U G U S T 3 1
DAY 6 Schubertplus Round Concert 13 2 p.m.
NOTES:
58
VIANO STRING QUARTET The Four Quarters, Op. 28 (2010)
Thomas Adès (b. 1971)
i – Nightfalls ii – Serenade: Morning Dew iii – Days iv – The Twenty-fifth Hour
String Quartet No.15 in G Major, D. 887 (1826)
Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828)
Allegro molto moderato
CALLISTO QUARTET String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, ‘Death and the Maiden’, D. 810 (1824)
Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828)
Allegro
The Four Quarters, Op. 28 (2010)
Thomas Adès (b. 1971)
ii – Serenade: Morning Dew
String Quartet No. 6, Sz. 114 (1939)
Béla Bartók (1881 – 1945)
Mesto - Burletta
String Quartet in F Major (1903) Vif et agité INTERMISSION
Maurice Ravel (1875 – 1937)
S A T U R D AY, A U G U S T 3 1
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MARMEN QUARTET
DAY 6 Salvatore Sciarrino (b. 1947)
String Quartet No. 7 (2000)
Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828)
String Quartet No.15 in G Major, D. 887 (1826) Allegro molto moderato
Concert 13 2 p.m.
NOTES:
VERA QUARTET Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828)
String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, ‘Death and the Maiden’, D. 810 (1824) Allegro
Alfred Schnittke (1934-1998)
String Quartet No. 3 (1983) Andante
Lera Auerbach (b. 1973)
Sonnet for String Quartet No. 3 “Cetera desunt” (2006) No. 6 “Si vis pacem, para bellum”
String Quartet No. 11 in F minor, Op. 95 (1810)
Schubertplus Round
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)
Larghetto espressivo – Allegretto agitato – Allegro
S A T U R D AY, A U G U S T 3 1
DAY 6 Schubertplus Round
Q U AT U O R AG AT E String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, ‘Death and the Maiden’, D. 810 (1824)
NOTES:
Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828)
Allegro
Concert 14 7:30 p.m.
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String Quartet in C Major, Op. 54 No. 2 (1788)
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 – 1809)
Adagio
String Quartet No. 2 (1970)
Wolfgang Rihm (b. 1952)
Adagio
OMER QUARTET Six Bagatelles for String Quartet, Op. 9 (1913)
Anton Webern (1883 – 1945)
Mässig Leicht Bewegt Ziemlich Fließend Sehr Langsam Äußerst Langsam Fließend
String Quartet No. 1 in A minor, Op. 41 (1842)
Robert Schumann (1810 – 1856)
Adagio
Aus der Ferne III (1991)
György Kurtág (b. 1926)
String Quartet No.15 in G Major, D. 887 (1826) Allegro molto moderato INTERMISSION
Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828)
S A T U R D AY, A U G U S T 3 1
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Q U AT U O R E L M I R E String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, ‘Death and the Maiden’, D. 810 (1824)
DAY 6 Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828)
Allegro
Ainsi la nuit (1976) Nocturne Miroir d’espace Litanies II Constellations Nocturne II Temps suspendu
Schubertplus Round
Henri Dutilleux (1916-2013)
Concert 14 7:30 p.m.
NOTES:
Photo by Chi Liu.
S U N D AY, S E P T E M B E R 1
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DAY 6 Final Round Concert 15 2 p.m.
NOTES:
FINALS
During the Final Round, three quartets take the stage to perform one complete work of Beethoven. Award ceremony will follow jury deliberation.
LECTURES AND SPECIAL EVENTS
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RESIDENT AUDIENCE AND PASSPORT HOLDER EXCLUSIVE EVENTS
The lecture series is generously supported by: Ernie and Sandra Green
DAY 1
DAY 2
DAY 3
Monday August 26
Tuesday August 27
Wednesday August 28
Philip Setzer
Practice Makes Perfect...Or Does it?
Optional Morning Excursions
Cellist Denis Brott brings you inside the intimate and intense world of string quartet rehearsal.
Various excursions are offered to our Resident Audience. Please see BISQC Info Desk for details!
Lecture 1 10 a.m.
Lecture 2 9 a.m.
Kinnear Centre, Husky Great Hall
Kinnear Centre, Husky Great Hall
Violinist Philip Setzer reflects on his remarkable career with the Emerson Quartet in conversation with BISQC Director Barry Shiffman.
Open Masterclass Students from the Young Musicians program receive coaching from BISQC Mentor-inResidence, Joel Krosnick. Masterclass 4:30 p.m. Rolston Recital Hall
LECTURES AND SPECIAL EVENTS
65
Open Masterclass, Lectures, and Special Events are only open to resident audience and passport holders, unless otherwise noted. Space is limited for the Open Masterclass, and seating is provided on a first come first served basis. Lectures are approximately 45 minutes in length, with the exception of Lecture 3 which will be 30 minutes.
DAY 4
DAY 5
DAY 6
DAY 7
Thursday August 29
Friday August 30
Saturday August 31
Sunday September 1
Optional Mid-Day Excursions
Matthew Whittall
Creativity and Mental Health
Canadian Commission Composer Matthew Whittall, in conversation with Barry Shiffman.
The link between creativity, mental health and mental illness has been the subject of speculation – and even poetry – since Aristotle. More recently, it has been the subject of science. Join Dr. David Goldbloom as he looks at these intersections and their implications.
Matchmaker, Matchmaker: Choosing the Perfect Instrument
Various excursions are offered to our Resident Audience. Please see BISQC Info Desk for details!
Lecture 3 9 a.m.
Film Screening
Eric Harvie Theatre
Join Riddle Films for an exclusive screening of a new documentary about BISQC’s Mentor-inResidence Joel Krosnick inspired by an interview from BISQC 2016. Screening will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers.
Film 4 p.m. Rolston Recital Halll
Optional Mid-Day Excursions Various excursions are offered to our Resident Audience. Please see BISQC Info Desk for details.
Lecture 4 9 a.m.
Tom Wilder of Wilder and Davis, Ric Heinl of George Heinl & Company, and Aaron Boyd of Southern Methodist University discuss finding the perfect instrument match. With a special appearance by 2016 Laureates, The Rolston Quartet.
Kinnear Centre, Husky Great Hall
Lecture 5 10 a.m.
Kinnear Centre, Husky Great Hall
AWARDS AND PRIZES
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AWARDS AND SPECIAL PRIZES
In 2019, competing quartets vie for over $300,000 in cash and prizes including:
Second Prize Laureates •
$12,000 cash prize
First Prize Laureates
•
A fully-funded creative residency at Banff Centre including coaching and mentorship opportunities with established artists, a $15,000 value
One quartet will be awarded a custom designed, three-year artistic and career development program which includes: •
$25,000 cash prize
•
Winner’s Concert Tours in career-building markets in Europe and North America, arranged by Banff Centre
•
A three-week residency at Banff Centre including the production of a recording, as well as coaching and mentorship opportunities with established artists
•
Southern Methodist University Peak Fellowship Ensemble-in-Residence Prize. (See next page for details)
Third Prize Laureates •
$8,000 cash prize
•
A fully funded creative residency at Banff Centre including coaching and mentorship opportunities with established artists, a $15,000 value
AWARDS AND PRIZES
The R.S. Williams & Sons Haydn Prize
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Esterhรกzy Foundation Prize
$3,000 for the best performance of a Haydn quartet from Round One.
Recital in Haydn Hall and the Esterhรกzy Palace in Eisenstadt (Austria), for the First Prize Laureates. Prize includes artist fee and travel expenses.
Canadian Commission Prize, in honour of the R.S. Williams & Sons Company
Career Development Awards
$3,000 for the best performance in Round Three of the commissioned quartet by a Canadian composer. For 2019, this is Canadian-Finnish Composer Matthew Whittall.
Southern Methodist University Peak Fellowship Ensemble-InResidence Prize New for 2019, first place laureates will be offered a 2-year paid residency worth $160,000 USD at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.
Upon completion of the first four rounds of BISQC, all quartets not selected to the Final Round of the competition will receive a career development award of $4,000.
WINNING TOUR
WINNER’S TOUR
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Lucerne Festival, Lucerne, CH Philharmonie, Paris, FR Mozarteum, Salzburg, AT
The Banff International String Quartet Competition is proud of the many partnerships developed with concert presenters across Europe and North America, who have supported its mission by providing opportunities for the winners of BISQC to perform for audiences world-wide. As part of their First Prize, the winning quartet will embark on concert tours in partnership with Konzertdirection Hampl (Europe) and Andrew Kwan Artists Management (Canada) including: • Europe in January/February 2020, June 2020, Fall 2020 • Austria as part of the Esterházy Foundation Prize • North America in Summer/Fall 2020 and Spring 2021
In North America, BISQC has concert agreements in principle with: The Jeffery Concerts, London, ON Victoria Summer Music Festival, Victoria BC Music in the Morning, Vancouver BC Oceanside Concerts, Parkside BC Chamber Music Kelowna, Kelowna BC The Coast Recital Society, Sechelt BC ArtSpring, Salt Spring Island BC Nelson Overture Concerts, Nelson BC Calgary Pro Musica, Calgary AB White Rock Concerts, Surrey BC The ACT Arts Centre, Maple Ridge BC St. Albert Chamber Music Society, St. Albert AB The Valley Concert Society, Abbotsford BC Cecilian Chamber Series, Regina SK Virtuosi Concerts, Winnipeg MB Toronto Summer Music Festival, Toronto ON Ottawa Chamberfest, Ottawa ON
In Europe, BISQC has concert agreements in principle with: Strijkkwartet Biënnale, Amsterdam, NL Kammermusik Basel, Basel, CH Konzerthaus Berlin, Berlin, DE University of Bonn, Bonn, DE Konzertverein Bozen, Bozen, IT Die Glocke, Bremen, DE Bruchsaler Schlosskonzerte, Bruchsal, DE Flagey, Brussels, BE Herbstgold Festival, Eisenstadt, AT Conservatoire de Musique, Esch, LU Festival Meckenburg-Vorpommern, DE Stadt Fulda, Fulda, DE Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg, DE Lucerne Festival, Lucerne, CH Wigmore Hall, London, UK Esterházy Foundation, Eisenstadt, AT
Women's Musical Club of Toronto, Toronto ON Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts, Kingston ON Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance, Lunenburg NS Montreal Chamber Music Festival, Montreal QC Whitehorse Concerts, Whitehorse YT Norton Building Concert Series, Chicago IL Chamber Music Society of Salt Lake City UT Americas Society, New York NY Rockport Chamber Music Festival, Rockport MA Banff Centre International String Quartet Festival, Banff AB For a list of concerts for the 2019 BISQC First Prize Laureates, visit bisqc.ca/tour. To partner with BISQC, contact BISQC Manager Mhiran Faraday at bisqc@banffcentre.ca.
Photo by Chris Amat.
PEOPLE
PEOPLE
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COMPETITION DIRECTOR
Barry Shiffman 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.
Photo by Kari Medig.
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PRELIMINARY JURY Christopher Costanza For three decades, cellist Christopher Costanza has enjoyed an exciting and varied career as soloist, chamber musician, and teacher. A winner of the Young Concert Artists International Auditions and the recipient of a Solo Recitalists Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, Costanza has performed to enthusiastic critical acclaim throughout the U.S., Europe, Canada, South America, Australia, New Zealand, China, and South Korea. In 2003 Costanza joined the St. Lawrence String Quartet, Ensemble in Residence at Stanford University. A strong proponent of contemporary music, he has worked extensively with the world’s leading composers, such as John Adams, Osvaldo Golijov, Olivier Messiaen, and Pierre Boulez. His discography includes chamber music and solo recordings on the EMI/Angel, Nonesuch, Naxos, and Albany labels, and he has launched an innovative website, costanzabach. stanford.edu, featuring his recordings of the Six Suites for Solo Cello by J.S. Bach. Costanza received a Bachelor of Music and an Artist Diploma from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, where he studied cello with Bernard Greenhouse, Laurence Lesser, and David Wells, and chamber music with Eugene Lehner, Louis Krasner, and Leonard Shure.
Christopher Costanza has served as faculty for Music Programs at Banff Centre. Photo courtesy Christopher Costanza.
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Jonathan Crow
Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt
The 2018-2019 season marks Canadian violinist Jonathan Crow’s eighth season as Concertmaster of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Previously, this Prince George, BC native, studied at McGill University and spent 1998-2006 with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra serving as Concertmaster from 200206. Crow continues to perform as guest concertmaster with orchestras around the world, and has also performed as a soloist with most major Canadian orchestras. He joined the Schulich School of Music at McGill as an Assistant Professor of Violin, was appointed Associate Professor of Violin in 2010, and is currently Associate Professor of Violin at the University of Toronto. In 2016 Crow was named Artistic Director of Toronto Summer Music. An avid chamber musician, he has performed at chamber music festivals throughout North America, South America, and Europe and is a founding member of the Juno Award-winning New Orford String Quartet, a project-based new ensemble dedicated to the promotion of standard and Canadian string quartet repertoire throughout North America.
Praised by The Strad magazine as having “lyricism that stood out...a silky tone and beautiful, supple lines,” violist Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt has established herself as one of the most sought-after violists of her generation. Pajaro-van de Stadt is the founding violist of the Dover Quartet, First Prize-winner at the Banff International String Quartet Competition 2013, and winner of the Gold Medal and Grand Prize in the 2010 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition. She graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music and then received her Master’s Degree in String Quartet with the Dover Quartet at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. Pajaro-van de Stadt performs on a 2004 copy of the Primrose Amati, originally made for Roberto Diaz by Gabrielle Kundert and on a 1780 Michele Deconet generously on loan by the grandson of the viola’s former owner, Boris Kroyt of the Budapest String Quartet.
Jonathan Crow has served as faculty for Music Programs at Banff Centre. Photo by Sian Richards
Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt was last at Banff Centre for the 2018 Banff Centre International String Quartet Festival. Photo by Lisa-Marie Mazzucco
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COMPETITION JURY
Gillian Ansell New Zealand violist Gillian Ansell made her concerto debut with the Auckland Philharmonia at 16. She studied violin, viola, and piano at London’s Royal College of Music, then in Cologne with Igor Ozim and the Amadeus Quartet. In 1987 Ansell became a founding member of the New Zealand String Quartet. In 2017 she celebrated 30 years in the quartet, with whom she has toured New Zealand and the world. They have recorded over 20 CDs, including the complete Mendelssohn and Brahms quartets for Naxos. Since 1991, she has taught at the School of Music, Victoria University of Wellington. Ansell is co-Artistic Director of the Adam Chamber Music Festival and a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Ansell plays a 1619 Nicolò Amati viola, generously loaned by the Adam Foundation.
Gillian Ansell has served as faculty for Music Programs at Banff Centre. Photo courtesy Gillian Ansell.
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Martin Beaver
Adrian Fung
Martin Beaver is renowned as a soloist, chamber musician, and as first violinist of the Tokyo String Quartet from 2002-2013. Appearances include the San Francisco Symphony, the National Orchestra of Belgium, the Sapporo Symphony, and all major Canadian orchestras. Collaborations include with eminent artists such as Pinchas Zukerman, Lynn Harrell, Yefim Bronfman, Leon Fleisher, and Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Beaver is a laureate of the violin competitions of Indianapolis (1990), Montreal (1991), and the 1993 Queen Elizabeth Competition in Brussels. A former pupil of Victor Danchenko, Josef Gingold, and Henryk Szeryng, Beaver has served on the faculties of The Royal Conservatory in Toronto, University of British Columbia, Peabody Conservatory, and Yale School of Music. He is currently professor of violin and chamber music at the Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles. He is a founding member of the Montrose Trio.
Recognized as one of Musical America’s 30 Innovators of the Year, Adrian Fung is an award-winning cellist, educator, and arts executive. As the JUNO-nominated cellist and producer of the Afiara Quartet, Fung is a winner of the Concert Artist Guild International Competition, Young Canadian Musicians Award, 2nd prizes at the Munich ARD and Banff International String Quartet Competitions, and the latter’s Szekely Prize for Best Interpretation of Beethoven. He currently serves as Associate Dean and Associate Professor of the Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts at the University of Oklahoma, launching a new graduate program for arts entrepreneurship and a national arts incubation lab. He is also Executive Artistic Director of Music In The Morning Concert Society and Summer Music Vancouver. Fung previously served as Vice President for Innovation at the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. His work includes a Signature Initiative Project reaching an audience of 14.5 million via 50 orchestral commissions and over 40 partner orchestras nationwide. He holds a Bachelor’s from the San Francisco Conservatory, an Artist Diploma from The Juilliard School, and an MBA from the University of Toronto.
Martin Beaver was last at Banff for the 2018 Banff Centre International String Quartet Festival. Photo courtesy Martin Beaver.
Adrian Fung has both been a Banff Centre student and served as Banff Centre faculty. Photo courtesy Adrian Fung.
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David Harrington
Nobuko Imai
David Harrington is the founder and Artistic Director of the Kronos Quartet. For more than 40 years, the San Francisco-based group – Harrington (violin), John Sherba (violin), Hank Dutt (viola), and Sunny Yang (cello) – has combined a spirit of fearless exploration with a commitment to continually reimagine the string quartet experience. In the process, Kronos has become one of the world’s most celebrated and influential ensembles, performing thousands of concerts, releasing more than 60 recordings, collaborating with an eclectic mix of composers and performers, and commissioning over 950 works and arrangements for string quartet. They have won over 40 awards, including a Grammy Award and the prestigious Polar Music and Avery Fisher Prizes.
With her exceptional talent, musical integrity, and charisma, Nobuko Imai is considered to be one of the most outstanding violist of our time. Formerly a member of the esteemed Vermeer Quartet, she combines a distinguished international career as a soloist, chamber musician, member of the Michelangelo Quartet, and educator. She has appeared with many of the world’s prestigious orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Royal Concertgebouw, the London, Boston, and Chicago Symphony, among many others. Her chamber music collaborators include Gidon Kremer, Midori, Mischa Maisky, Yo Yo Ma, Andras Schiff, and Martha Argerich. She has dedicated a large part of her artistic activities to explore the diverse potential of the viola, such as annual “Viola Space” project, Hindemith Festivals (1995/1996), and The Tokyo International Viola Competition, the first international competition in Asia exclusively for viola. She has made more than 40 recordings for labels including BIS, Chandos, Philips, and Sony.
David Harrington was last at Banff Centre as a special guest during the 2016 BISQC. Photo courtesy David Harrington.
Nobuko Imai has served as faculty for Music Programs at Banff Centre. Photo by Marco Borggreve.
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Philip Setzer
Ursula Smith
Violinist Philip Setzer, a founding member of the Emerson String Quartet, began studying violin at the age of five with his parents, both former violinists in the Cleveland Orchestra. He continued his studies with Josef Gingold and Rafael Druian, and later at the Juilliard School with Oscar Shumsky. Recipient of the Bronze Medal at the Queen Elisabeth International Competition (1976) and second prize winner at the Marjorie Merriweather Post Competition in Washington, D.C. (1967), Setzer has appeared as soloist with orchestras including the National Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Aspen Chamber, and Memphis Symphony, among others. He has also premiered Paul Epstein’s Matinee Concerto, a piece dedicated to and written for him, in Hartford, New York, Cleveland, Boston, and Aspen. Currently teaching as Distinguished Professor of Violin and Chamber Music at SUNY Stony Brook, Setzer has given master classes at schools around the world, including The Curtis Institute, London’s Royal Academy of Music, The San Francisco Conservatory, UCLA, The Cleveland Institute of Music, and The Mannes School.
Ursula Smith is a Cello Professor at Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where she is also Senior Tutor in Chamber Music. From 2006 to 2012 Smith was a member of the Zehetmair String Quartet, a quartet which performs and records for the most part from memory. She performed in many of the world’s top venues including the Berliner Philharmonie, the Concertgebouw, Wigmore Hall, and Carnegie Hall. Festivals include Cheltenham, Aldeburgh, Schleswig Holstein, and Salzburg. The quartet’s 2007 ECM recording of Bartok’s 5th quartet and Hindemith quartet opus 22 won the Chamber Music Diapason D’Or of the year in France. Other chamber music discs include the complete Beethoven folk songs for piano trio and voices for Deutsche Grammophon. Invited by Lukas Hagen, Smith was a jury member of the International Mozart Competition for String Quartets in Salzburg in 2014.
Philip Setzer has served as faculty for Music Programs at Banff Centre. Photo courtesy Philip Setzer.
Ursula Smith participated at Banff Centre in the Cello Masterclass program. Photo courtesy Ursula Smith.
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SPECIAL GUESTS
Joel Krosnick Mentor in Residence As cellist in the Juilliard String Quartet from 1974 to 2016, Joel Krosnick has performed the great quartet literature throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, and recorded it for the Sony Classical, Wergo, and CRI labels. He has also performed as a soloist and recitalist around the world. With his sonata partner of more than 40 years, pianist Gilbert Kalish, Krosnick has performed recitals throughout the U.S. and Europe. Krosnick is the recipient of the Chevalier du Violoncelle Award from the Eva Janzer Memorial Cello Center at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. In 2011, as a member of the Juilliard String Quartet, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. In 2015, Krosnick received the Juilliard School President’s Medal for Service to the Arts.
BISQC Mentor in Residence is Supported in honour of the R.S. Williams & Sons Company Photo courtesy The Juilliard School.
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Matthew Whittall
Theresa Leonard
Composer in Residence
Guest Audio Producer
Matthew Whittall holds degrees in performance and composition from Vanier College, the University of Massachusetts, Stony Brook University, and the Sibelius Academy. He has been commissioned by the Helsinki Philharmonic and Finnish Radio Symphony, among others and his symphonic song cycle “Dulcissima, clara, sonans” was awarded Finland’s highest composition award, the Teosto Prize, in 2013. Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra recently premiered his piano concerto Nameless Seas, a Canada 150 commission for soloist Angela Hewitt. Whittall’s music is marked by an attempt to fuse its disparate influences into a variegated expressive language, and by its prominent use of nature imagery. He currently lives in Helsinki, where he works as a freelance composer, and teaches composition and orchestration at the Sibelius Academy.
Theresa Leonard is an internationally recognized music producer and audio educator. She holds a Master of Music degree in sound recording from McGill University and bachelor degrees in both music and education. In her more than 25-year career, she has served as Executive Producer, Music Producer, and Recording Engineer and worked in all areas of music production including research, audio post-production for film and video, broadcast audio, education and programming, administration, operations, and professional recordings for a broad range of international artists. For nearly 21 years, she served as Director of Audio at Banff Centre, and was instrumental in growing the audio education program to international status, as well as overseeing all activities in the Centre’s extensive music recording and audio post-production facilities.
Photo by Maarit Kytöharju.
Photo courtesy of Banff Centre.
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Moses Renert
Denis Brott
Official Mathematician
Lecturer
Dr. Moshe (Moses) Renert is a wellknown mathematics educator and a recognized authority on Mathematics Curriculum and Pedagogy. He is the co-founder of Renert School, a cuttingedge K-12 private school in Calgary dedicated to nurturing students’ passions. The school is Alberta’s preeminent math school, as evidenced by students’ standings in provincial, national, and international math contests. In his spare time, Renert is an avid music lover and an accordion player. Together with Dr. Ernst Enns, he has developed the innovative Optimal Jury Scoring System for fair judging of music competitions. The system is used by various competitions, including the Banff International String Quartet Competition and the Honens International Piano Competition.
Cellist Denis Brott is recognized on the international stage as one of Canada’s finest and most distinguished performing artists. His discography lists 20 chamber music recordings, including the complete string quartets of Beethoven with the Orford String Quartet. The quality and musicality of these efforts were rewarded with two Juno Awards for Best Classical Recording by a Chamber Ensemble and the Grand Prix du Disque. Winning the 1972 Munich International Cello Competition launched Brott’s career. He is Professor of Cello and Chamber Music at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal, a position he has had since 1989. He was the catalyst for the creation of the Instrument Bank of the Canada Council, which purchased an exceptional 1706 Tecchler cello for his exclusive lifetime use.
Photo courtesy Moses Renert.
Denis Brott has served as faculty for Music Programs at Banff Centre. Photo by Christine Bourgier.
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Dr. David Goldbloom
Tom Wilder
Lecturer
Lecturer
Highly renowned and respected within his field, Dr. David S. Goldbloom has worked as a psychiatric consultant to family physicians for more than 30 years. Within the field of psychiatry, he has actively promoted the power of communication through teaching, presentations, and numerous publications. He trained in medicine and psychiatry at McGill University, and is currently a professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto. He is also a consulting psychiatrist to family health teams in New Liskeard and Elliot Lake. In hopes of reaching a broader audience, he recently coauthored the book How Can I Help? A Week in the Life of a Psychiatrist, a highly readable and touching account of the complex nature of psychiatric illness and the stigmas that are often associated with mental illness.
Tom Wilder co-founded Wilder & Davis in 1991 and opened a second location in Banff, Alberta in 2002. He is a member of the Entente Internationale des Luthiers et Archetiers, member and former president of the American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers, founder and president of IPCI-Canada, and a member of the Violin Society of America.
Photo by Ksenija Hotic.
Photo courtesy Tom Wilder.
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Ric Heinl
Aaron Boyd
Lecturer
Lecturer
Ric W. Heinl joined his grandfather’s firm, George Heinl & Co., in 1971, and is now the President of the company. Being very active in the shop and in pursuit of fine instruments, Heinl has been responsible for bringing many fine world class instruments to Canada and is passionate about the art of restoration and is dedicated to improving and refining repair techniques. This dedication has earned the shop international recognition as one of the finest in the world today. Heinl is also curator for numerous corporate and institutional collections as well as acting agent to the Canada Council for the Arts.
Violinist Aaron Boyd has established an international career as soloist, chamber musician, orchestral leader, recording artist, lecturer, and educator. Since making his New York recital debut in 1998, Boyd has appeared at the most prestigious venues throughout the United States, Europe, Russia and Asia and has collaborated with members of the Juilliard, Guarneri, Orion, Tokyo and Emerson Quartets, the Beaux Arts Trio, Phillippe Entremont, Mitsuko Uchida, Anner Bylsma, Lynn Harrell, Cho-Liang Lin, Wu Han, and David Finckel. Vitally interested in the violin and its history, Boyd is in demand as a lecturer on the golden age violinists and their violins. A contributing writer to The Strad magazine, Boyd has also participated in the Oberlin Acoustics Workshop and the critically acclaimed “Strad3D” project.
Photo courtesy Ric Heinl.
Photo courtesy Aaron Boyd.
Argus Quartet performing during BISQC 2016. Photo by Rita Taylor.
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GUEST PERFORMERS Rolston String Quartet The 2018 recipient and first international ensemble chosen for the prestigious Cleveland Quartet Award from Chamber Music America, Canada’s Rolston String Quartet continue to receive acclamation and recognition for their musical excellence. In 2016, a monumental year, they earned a First Prize win at the 12th Banff International String Quartet Competition. In that same year, the quartet’s winning included Astral’s National Auditions and Grand Prize of the 31st Chamber Music Yellow Springs Competition. They were also prize winners at the 2016 Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition and the inaugural M-Prize competition. Rolston String Quartet began their two-year term as the Yale School of Music’s fellowship quartet-in-residence in the fall of 2017. They have also served as the graduate quartet-in-residence at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music and have participated in residencies and fellowships at the Académie musicale de Villecroze, Aspen Music Festival, Banff Centre, McGill International String Quartet Academy, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Robert Mann String Quartet Institute, St. Lawrence String Quartet Seminar, and the Yehudi Menuhin Chamber Music Festival. They take their name from Canadian violinist Thomas Rolston, founder and longtime director of the Music and Sound Programs at Banff Centre. Photo by Bo Huang.
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Nicolas Namoradze Pianist and composer Nicolas Namoradze came to international attention upon winning the 2018 Honens International Piano Competition in Calgary, Canada – among the largest competition prizes in classical music. The Calgary Herald called him “unparalleled” and “a pianist’s pianist,” stating: “the refinement of his playing was of international standard and everywhere his interpretative skills commanded attention and admiration.” Namoradze’s activities as the 2018 Honens Prize Laureate include: recitals at Carnegie Hall (New York), 92nd Street Y (New York), Wigmore Hall (London), Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, the Gardner Museum (Boston), and the Konzerthaus Berlin; recordings on the Honens, Hyperion, and Steinway labels; and worldwide engagements with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Klavier-Festival Ruhr, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Miami International Piano Festival, and Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. After completing his undergraduate studies in Budapest, Vienna, and Florence, Namoradze moved to New York to obtain his master’s degree at The Julliard School. He now pursues his doctorate at the CUNY Graduate Center holding the Graduate Center Fellowship, studying piano with Emanuel Ax and Yoheved Kaplinsky and composition with John Corigliano. Namoradze serves on the faculty of Queens College. Photo by Nathan Elson.
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Kronos Quartet For 45 years, San Francisco’s Kronos Quartet – David Harrington (violin), John Sherba (violin), Hank Dutt (viola), and Sunny Yang (cello) – has pursued a singular artistic vision, combining a spirit of fearless exploration with a commitment to continually reimagine the string quartet experience. In the process, Kronos has become one of the most celebrated and influential groups of our time, performing thousands of concerts worldwide, releasing more than 60 recordings of extraordinary breadth and creativity, collaborating with many of the world’s most accomplished composers and performers, and commissioning more than 1,000 works and arrangements for string quartet. Kronos has received over 40 awards, including both the Polar Music and Avery Fisher Prize, two of the most prestigious awards given to musicians. In 2018, the group became the first US-based musicians to receive the WOMEX (World Music Expo) Artist Award. In 2015, Kronos launched 50 for the Future: The Kronos Learning Repertoire, an education and legacy project that is commissioning – and distributing online for free – 50 new works for string quartet designed for the training of students and emerging professionals and composed by 25 women and 25 men from around the world. Scores and parts, recordings, and other materials are available on kronosquartet.org.
Photo by Chris Amat.
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FIFTY FOR THE FUTURE: THE KRONOS LEARNING REPERTOIRE
By Keith Horner
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“My inner Haydn was smiling when we were there,” says Kronos Quartet’s David Harrington, telling me about the San Francisco-based group’s concert in the Haydnsaal of Austria’s Esterházy Palace last September. Kronos combined with Banff laureates, the Rolston String Quartet (2016, Canada) and South Korea’s Esmé Quartet for a concert encore featuring Quartet Satz (2017) by Philip Glass. Each section of this seven-minute gently pulsing, constantly shifting piece opens a window onto techniques Glass incorporates in his larger pieces. He wrote it for the second year of a fiveyear project titled Fifty for the Future: The Kronos Learning Repertoire, an ambitious project rolled out in the 2015-16 season with the initial ten composers. In the same concert at the Esterházy Palace – where so many of Haydn’s string quartets were first performed, formally or informally – the Rolston Quartet introduced one of these ten pieces, Inuit throat singer Tanya Tagaq’s Sivunittinni: The Future Children. This earthy, elemental piece viscerally transfers Tagaq’s extension of traditional throat singing to the string quartet, from guttural growling to climactic consummation. “The sound is unlike any other sound in the universe,” Harrington said when Kronos gave the première in Toronto’s Koerner Hall. “It was challenging to explore extreme ranges of the tonal and timbre possibilities of our instruments,” says Rolston cellist Jonathan Lo. For her part, the Polaris Prize-winning Tagaq says: “Kronos has gifted me the opportunity to take the sounds that live in my body and translate them into the body of instruments.” Onstage at the Esterházy Palace, Eisenstadt, Austria with Fifty for the Future – the Kronos, Esmé and Rolston quartets, September 17, 2018
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All these pieces are available for The Esmé presented two Fifty for the free instant download, together with Future pieces at Esterházy Palace: Korean supporting material: interviews with composer Soo Yeon Lyuh’s Yessori, the composer, a Kronos performance, which translates as ‘sounds from the tutorials, program notes and the like. past’ (“we could feel our national roots,” Some 40 works are already online, with says the Esmé) and Serbian-American the remainder following in the months composer Aleksandra Vrebalov’s My to come. “What’s happening now is that Desert, My Rose (“a fun piece with a lot a community of performers is beginning of fantasy from each one of us, then to surround Kronos from every corner of something of the spirit of rock music”). the world,” says Harrington. “It’s giving Vrebalov emphasizes the need for me so many ideas for the future. We communication between the players in might have to have 500 her piece. SaskatchewanFor the Future! I don’t born composer Nicole know how we’re going Lizée also demands “ WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW to put a period at the communication, even end of this paragraph!” before four musicians IS THAT A COMMUNITY OF sit down to tackle her PERFORMERS IS BEGINNING “This is a game Fifty for the Future changer,” says BISQC composition. In Another TO SURROUND KRONOS Director Barry Shiffman, Living Soul, Lizée, who contrasting the process has mentored FROM EVERY CORNER OF THE with Haydn’s handwritten interpretations of the crowd-funding pitch for WORLD.... IT’S GIVING ME SO piece online, renders early subscribers to his new stop-motion animation MANY IDEAS FOR THE FUTURE” quartet publications in vivid musical terms from “the great patrons with the addition of party of music and the amateur noisemakers (whistling – David Harrington, Kronos Quartet. gentlemen.” “I think tubes, groan tubes, desk there is something bells). The challenge is very beautiful in initially to find these noisemakers, then the democratization of access to make them an integral part of the quartet important new music. Kronos, and sonority. Harrington finds that Lizée’s all the project funders, have created piece echoes the process Kronos itself an important resource for the world, went through almost a half century earlier and, I believe, paved the way for a when he formed the multi-award-winning new model of music commissioning quartet to perform George Crumb’s Black and performance.” Composer Nicole Angels, a groundbreaking, Vietnam WarLizée adds: “There is no downside to inspired work, with an arsenal of sounds. the project. It is such a wonderfully Picked at random from the Fifty treasure unique and enduring way to bring trove are the exuberantly forward-driving young quartets and brand new music Zaghlala by Egyptian keyboardist Islam in contact with one another.” Artistic Chipsy and Zakir Hussain’s compelling Director David Harrington concludes: Pallavi where, through the interweaving of four ragas, traditional Eastern melody and rhythm are used to explore Western counterpoint and harmony.
“What I’m hoping for is that this art form blossoms infinitely. What we’ve found is that no two composers in touch with their inner voice sound the same when they write string quartets. Two violins, viola, and cello can create such a personal, revealing, human medium. The possibilities are as infinite as humanity itself.” The lead partner with Kronos Performing Arts Association is Carnegie Hall, together with “an adventurous group of presenters, academic institutions, and other arts organizations” (including Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity), as Legacy and Commissioning Partners
Photo by Rita Taylor.
Visit kronosquartet.org/fifty-for-the-future
Dover Quartet, winners of BISQC 2013, performing during BISQC 2016. Photo by Rita Taylor.
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RESIDENCIES: A MODEL FOR LONG-TERM SUCCESS
By Tamara Bernstein
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Keen-eyed BISQC followers may have noticed an exciting new addition to the prize package this year: the First Place Laureates will be offered a two-year residency at the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University, in Dallas. Inaugurated in 2015, the Peak Fellowship, named after its donor, provides “a very gifted chamber music ensemble” with the opportunity to rehearse, perform, study, teach, work with students, and develop its own creative projects for two years, says violinist Aaron Boyd, Director of Chamber Music at the Meadows School. The monetary value of the fellowship – $160,000 USD – over two years – is nothing to sneeze at. But when Boyd approached Barry Shiffman, Director of BISQC, with the idea to offer the Peak as a BISQC prize, the founding second violinist of the St. Lawrence Quartet immediately recognized the deeper value that the experience could give a young string quartet. You might call it the Sustainable Development – or more bluntly, the longevity factor. “Why are string quartets in the U.S. thriving?” Shiffman asked in a recent conversation. “Because they have the institutional support of big U.S. universities,” through long-term residencies that enable quartets to put down roots in a community, and relieve them of the pressure to tour constantly. And for players who want to raise a family, that touring can eventually become a deal-breaker – even for someone as heroic as Marina Hoover, the founding cellist of the St. Lawrence String Quartet, who in 2000 notably performed with the group with a cracked tailbone, sitting on an inflatable cushion, three weeks after giving birth.
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Shiffman knows first-hand how residencies like the Peak can serve as a stepping stone for a long-term residency. In its early years, the St. Lawrence Quartet had successive fellowships with three legendary U.S. quartets – the Emerson in Hartford, the Juilliard in New York, and the Tokyo at Yale University – after which they were Visiting Quartet at the University of Toronto. They used their brief visits to the University of Toronto as a laboratory, Shiffman says, “trying out all sorts of things, showcasing new works, and learning teaching and performing skills.” That gave them an edge when they applied to be Ensemble in Residence at Stanford University. When awarded the post, which has given them a home base since 1998, they hit the ground running, performing in student dorms, and collaborating on creative projects with members of the wider university community, including the Faculties of Medicine, Education, Law, and Jewish Studies – an approach and energy that universities are increasingly seeking. Boyd clearly approaches the Peak in the same spirit. “It’s a very wholesome kind of fellowship,” he says. “It has a lot of flexibility, and will very much be what the quartet makes of it.” Schedules permitting, they can receive coaching and guidance from the Escher String Quartet, who are regular visitors to Meadows. But Boyd also hopes that the Peak Fellows will come to him with creative ideas that he can help bring to fruition. He notes, too, that Meadows is in many ways the “Goldilocks” size: large enough to have a thriving student orchestra and chamber music program, but not so big that the quartet might get “lost in the mix, or not challenged enough.” Boyd adds, “They’ll be in a position to build something new, if they’re so inclined.”
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The Dover Quartet, winners of the 2013 BISQC, have been Quartet-inResidence at the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University, since 2015. Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, the group’s violist, notes that while touring remains their primary activity, the residency enables them to create a community around the quartet, “the way orchestras do.” That sense of personal connection to musicians on the part of audiences is also vital to the long-term survival of quartets and is reflected in Shiffman’s ongoing efforts to make BISQC feel more like a festival than a competition. While Boyd says that he would love to see the Peak Fellowship become a recurring part of the BISQC prize package, this year is a test run for both parties. Banff alone will provide the winning quartet with close to 70 concerts on international stages, and SMU is only asking that it commit to a minimum of 20 days on campus per semester, recognizing that the quartet will also have other commitments. “Right now it feels like an arranged marriage,” Boyd quips. “It will be fascinating to see how things play out in August!” Shiffman stresses that the Peak residency is being offered to the First Place Laureates. “It is not meant as something mandatory – it’s possible that a quartet may already have a residency elsewhere, in which case they would decline the SMU prize and it may be offered to the next laureate in line.” He adds "Ultimately, both SMU and BISQC share the goal of helping get a quartet into a more sustainable position. So it really does have to be the right fit.”
Tesla Quartet performing during BISQC 2016. Photo by Donald Lee.
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R E V I TA L I Z I N G O U R T H E AT R E BANFF CENTRE IS IN MY HEART
Banff Centre will be revitalizing the 52-year-old Eric Harvie Theatre in the coming year, with construction beginning in November 2019. The performing arts space will re-open as the Jenny Belzberg Theatre in Fall 2020. The renewal is thanks to the generosity of the family of Jenny Belzberg CM, LLD, AOE, the former Chair of Banff Centre’s Board of Governors from 1987-1991. Mrs. Belzberg is a community builder with a deep love for the arts. Her children’s gift in her name is one of the largest private gifts received in Banff Centre’s 86 year history. At the announcement on May 31, Mrs. Belzberg said, “I am a Canadian and a Calgarian. I need to leave something here in the West. Banff Centre is an international organization, so it helps everybody and I’d like to see more of that. Banff Centre is in my heart.” The funding will be used to renovate the 52 year old theatre, to rebuild the existing floor to improve sight lines, replace seating, enhance the acoustics, and improve accessibility.
“The exciting thing about this incredible gift and amazing renovation is that it will really allow us to continue to be on the leading edge. It’s a very important and beloved space in the community” says Banff Centre president and CEO Janice Price. “People are excited at the prospect of seeing the theatre brought up to modern standards, refreshed and beautified.” To follow the progress of the theatre renewal and to learn how you can support too, please visit banffcentre.ca.
Photo by Kari Medig.
Students from the Young Musicians program receive coaching from BISQC Mentorin-Residence, Joel Krosnick during BISQC 2016. Photo by Donald Lee.
ARTICLES
YO U N G M U S I C I A N S PROGRAM
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Launched in 2010, the Young Musicians Program was originally created through a partnership between the Rolston and the SzĂŠkely families as an initiative to inspire and celebrate the next generation of great chamber musicians. This program creates a special, welcoming, and affirming experience for young chamber ensembles as part of the Banff International String Quartet Competition. This year, we welcome FourSet Quartet from The Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, the Chestnut String Quartet from the Vancouver Academy of Music, and the YYCQT from here in Alberta. These promising young musicians will attend BISQC lectures and concerts, receive coaching from some of the leading musicians of our time, and will be heard in performance through the Quartet in the Community Outreach Program. Banff Centre is thrilled to support the next generation of chamber musicians through this wonderful initiative.
Generously supported by the Eagles Nest BISQC Young Artists Endowment and the Lloyd Carr-Harris Foundation. FourSet Quartet is generously supported in part by The Ann Vallentyne SOCMI Fund for Excellence of the Royal Conservatory of Music. Chestnut String Quartet, comprising students from Vancouver Academy of Music (VAM), gratefully acknowledges the financial support of VAM's Emerging Artist Grant for participation in the 2019 BISQC.
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QUARTET IN T H E CO M M U N I T Y: MELBA AND ORVILLE ROLLEFSON
Chestnut String Quartet Sebastian Hyland, violin Hannah Elworthy, violin
The Quartet in the Community program takes chamber music out of the concert hall and introduces it to new audiences in unexpected locations. Lucky listeners in the Bow Valley will experience the outreach component of BISQC, performing in fun and bold locations. From the farmer’s market to the top of Sulphur Mountain, both visitors and locals will hear extraordinary music where they least expect it, while the musicians develop skills in connecting with their surroundings. For 2019, ensembles performing as part of Quartet in the Community are participants in the Youth Ensemble Program. BISQC Director, Barry Shiffman says, “Gone is the formality of the stage, the fear of clapping at the wrong spot – it’s replaced instead by the pure joy of the magic of the music in the moment.”
In addition to the outreach that will take place in the Bow Valley, BISQC has partnered with Xenia Concerts and Autism Calgary to present the Rolston String Quartet and pianist Stephen Prutsman of Azure Concerts in a relaxed concert to take place in Calgary on Saturday, August 31. BISQC would like to thank Indefinite Arts Centre and Steinway Piano Gallery, Calgary without whom this event would not be able to take place.
Heather Elworthy, viola Trevis Wong, cello
FourSet Quartet Nathan Lau, violin Ani Lilli Saghatelyan, violin Sean Zhaoxuan Ping, viola Ella Xu, cello
YYCQT Jennifer Jeon, violin Madeleine Nysetvold, violin Soren Lorentzen, viola Christopher Reil, cello
Banff Centre thanks Susan and Robert Larson for their generous support of the Quartet in the Community: Melba and Orville Rollefson Residency.
Quartet in the Community, during BISQC 2016. Photo by Donald Lee.
M E D I A PA RT N E RS
MEDIA PARTNERS
Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity applauds our media partners who bring stories and performances from BISQC 2019 to music enthusiasts across Canada and around the world.
CBC Music
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BISQC PINS
Get Your BISQ Pin! Recognition Pins are given to individual donors who have generously supported the Banff International String Quartet Competition.
Sunday, September 8
Supporter
Host Paolo Pietropaolo presents a two hour program of BISQC highlights from the competition on In Concert, heard Sundays from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. on CBC Music and streaming online.
Patron $5,000+ Mentor $15,000+
Violin Channel The world’s leading classical music news source. Now reaching in excess of a million string players internationally. Complete live-streaming of the 2019 Banff International String Quartet Competition will be available on theviolinchannel.com.
BISQC.ca Be sure to keep an eye on our website for interviews and articles, photo galleries, videos, and more!
Innovator $25,000+ Creator $35,000+ Luminary $50,000+ Visionary $100,000+ Visit the table in the Eric Harvie Theatre Lobby to donate and pick-up your pin.
SUPPORTERS
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SUPPORTERS
Banff Centre thanks the following generous supporters of BISQC (at time of print)
Supported by:
Supporters: Gail Andrew and Richard Haagsma Artsylvia Foundation Banff Airporter Inc. Robert Baker and Holly Sykes
Wendy Kunsman Joan and Philip Leighton The Lloyd Carr-Harris Foundation Heather MacFadyen J. MacGregor Alex and Ketty Magil
The Benevity Community Impact Fund
Charles Mason Marilyn Murphy
Aurora Fund for the Advancement of String Quartet Music
Alan Bernstein and JoAnn Breitman Peter Brandon
Ian Savage
Calgary Foundation
Juliet Simon
Sylvia and Jack Chetner Scholarship Endowment
Graham and Maureen Carpenter
Harry and Kathy Strub
The Eagles Nest BISQC Young Artists Endowment
Joyce and Craig Copelan
In honour of R.S. Williams and Sons Company
BISQC Endowments:
R.S. Williams and Sons Company Ltd. Banff International String Quartet Competition Fund Yolande and Howard Freeze Fund for Music: Freeze Career Development Program Fund, BISQC Lead Supporters: Jack Chetner Ernie and Sandra Green David and Norma Cooke Christopher Head Estate of Adam S. Hedinger Maureen and Joe Katchen Susan and Robert Larson
Howard Dillon and Nell Dillon-Emers Alan Dornian Yasuko Eastman Alan Fielding
Gordon Mowat Norma
Dr. Terry and Sue White
Rod and Charlotte Wojtula Glenda and Neil Yeates Anonymous (7)
Ruth M. Gibson
Alistair Grieve and Catherine Merkley
Creative Giving:
Pamela Grigg Charitable Fund at Calgary Foundation
To contribute to the continuous development of these young ensembles, please contact Candice Noakes 403.762.6651 Candice_Noakes@ banffcentre.ca
M.J. Groves Judith Hannon Ron Holdsworth and Constance Hunt Dr. & Mrs. Robert Holmes Elizabeth Hunter Myrna Kostash J. Evan Kreider Paul Kreider
BANFF CENTRE
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Senior Leadership Team Janice Price, ICD.D, President & CEO Bruce Byford, Vice President, Administration and CFO
Mission Statement Banff Centre exists to inspire artists and leaders to make their unique contribution to society. We aspire to be the global leader in arts, culture, and creativity. Human potential is realized at Banff Centre. As a unique creative and learning experience, we curate innovative programs that develop artists and leaders, inspiring them to conceive and create powerful works and ideas that are shared with the world. Banff Centre is a catalyst for knowledge and creativity through the power of our unique environment and facilities in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, our rich learning opportunities, crossdisciplinary and crosssectoral interactions, outreach activities, and performances for the public. Banff Centre is supported by funding from the Government of Alberta through Alberta Enterprise and Advanced Education, Alberta Infrastructure, and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. Arts programs are supported by funding from the Government of Canada through the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canada Arts Training Fund. The Banff Centre experience is also enriched through generous support from individuals, corporations, and foundations.
Michael Code, Vice President, Operations Howard R. Jang, Vice President, Arts and Leadership Valerie Kapay, Vice President, Human Resources Sarah Nelems, Vice President, Development and Board Relations Rosemary Thompson, Vice President, Marketing, Communications and Public Affairs Board of Governors David T. Weyant, Q.C., ICD.D, Chair - Calgary Janice Price, ICD.D, President & CEO Larry Fichtner, Vice Chair - Calgary Carolyn Campbell - Edmonton Eric S. Harvie - Banff Laura Haynes - London Evaleen Jaager Roy - Vancouver Andy Kenins, ICD.D - Toronto Judith LaRocque, ICD.D - Ottawa Letha J. MacLachlan, Q.C. - Calgary Gay Mitchell, ICD.D - Toronto Raif Richardson - Winnipeg Patricia Ruby - Calgary John Snow, P.M.L.M, M.A. - Calgary Foundation Board Tim Kitchen, ICD.D (Chair) - Calgary Gavin Berger - New York Delia Cristea - Montreal Andy Kenins, ICD.D - Toronto Susan P. Kololian - Toronto J. Mark MacDonald, ICD.D - Toronto Michael S. H. McMillan, MBA, CMA, CPA Toronto
BANFF CENTRE
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Janice Price (ex officio) - Banff
Matt Manifould, Recording Engineer
Jill Price - Vancouver
Bruce McComb, Head Stage Carpenter
Jackson von der Ohe - Edmonton
Dave Miller, Stage Carpenter
David T. Weyant, Q.C., ICD.D (ex officio) Calgary
Devon Murphy, Content Lead
BISQC Team Barry Shiffman, Director, BISQC Mhiran Faraday, Manager, BISQC Jane Russell, Coordinator, BISQC Olga Fayn, Administrative Assistant Kerry Stauffer, Managing Director, Events & Public Engagement
Henry Ng, Audio Music Technician Jim Olver, Director, Customer Service Meiko Otawa, Senior Conference Services Manager Albert Picknell, Head Piano Technician Brett Rayner, Assistant Head Stage Carpenter Mark Reid, Guest Services Manager Ed Renzi, Audio Post Engineer
Kevin Tanner, Managing Director, Production
Chris Segnitz, Studio Manager
Marg Alfred, Assistant Registrar Gina Bennett, Production Manager
Karin Stubenvoll, Program Production Manager, Media
Tambry Bernath, Stage Management & Production Assistant
Lynda Vang, Communications Officer Samantha Welsh, Public Programs Officer
Stuart Bremner, Assistant Production Manager, BISQC
Corey Wiles, Sound Technician
Rod Shoup, Manager of Technical Services
Stuart Williamson, Lighting Technician
Allison Brock, Director, Presenting Meghan Brothwick, Production Coordinator Rebecca Bruton, Program Coordinator James Clemens-Seely, Senior Recording Engineer Charles Culver, Assistant Head of Sound Nurdjana de Rijcke, Stage Management & Production Assistant Peter Eaton, Technical Manager Corwin Ferguson, Head of Projection Technology Matt Flawn, Head of Lighting Samantha Hindle, Sound Technician Kyla Jacobs, Social Media Officer Don Lee, Head Photographer Rob Lillington, Audience Services Manager Nicky Lynch, Marketing Officer Woody MacPhail, Senior Producer Christine Majer, Graphic Design Lead
We want to thank everyone at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity who has supported the 13th Banff International String Quartet Competition – from feeding our audience and quartets, to booking tickets, creating awareness, fundraising, and ensuring the highest quality experience for all who attend and participate. We couldn’t do it without you! For the complete list of all Banff Centre staff who have contributed to BISQC in the administration, marketing, production, and audience services departments, please visit: bisqc.ca/credits Also with support from: Martin Finnerty, Camera Director Jordan Pal, Score Preparation Joaquin Gomez, Score Reader Ronelle Schaufele, Artistic Advisor, Youth Quartets
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BANFF CENTRE MAP
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Walter Phillips Gallery Wednesday to Sunday 12:30 – 5 p.m. Paul D. Fleck Library and Archives Monday to Thursday: 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. Friday: 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. Saturday: Closed Sunday: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
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Archives Monday to Friday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Closed weekends and holidays. Banff Centre Box Office Tuesday to Saturday 12 - 5 p.m Closed on statutory holidays 1.800.413.8368 During BISQC, the Box Office will also be open 30 minutes prior to all performances.
Donald Cameron Centre
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Glyde Hall
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Administration Offices 4
Hotel Reception
Walter Phillips Gallery
5
Ken Madsen Path to Town
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Kinnear Centre for Creativity & Innovation Maclab Bistro Meeting Rooms & Banquets Paul D. Fleck Library & Archives
7
Leighton Artists Studios
8
Lloyd Hall
Jeanne & Peter Lougheed Building
10
Max Bell Building
11
Music Building
12
Sally Borden Building
Fitness & Recreation Centre Participant Resources Three Ravens Restaurant Vistas Dining Room 16 17
Shaw Amphitheatre Theatre Complex
Box Office Eric Harvie Theatre Laszlo Funtek Teaching Wing Margaret Greenham Theatre The Club
Hotel Reception
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Professional Development Centre
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TransCanada PipeLines Pavilion
20
Yurt
Legend
Bentley Chamber Music Studio Rolston Recital Hall
Parking
3rd Floor Connector
Hotel Reception
Roam Bus Stop
Music Huts
Walter Phillips Gallery
Wheelchair Access
Restaurant
Stairs
Fitness & Recreation Centre
ATM
“…make music more intensely, more beautifully and more devotedly than ever before.” — Leonard Bernstein
Our thanks go out to the 2019 BISQC competitors for their devotion to making our world more beautiful.
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2021 Wigmore Hall International
String Quartet Competition
IN CONCERT A carefully curated blend of classical favourites and brand new discoveries, presented with passion and rare insight by Paolo Pietropaolo.
SUNDAY 11AM-3PM
12 – 18 April 2021 PRIZES 1st Prize £10,000 2nd Prize £6,000 3rd Prize £3,000 JURY Chair John Gilhooly OBE, Jonathan Brown, Hélène Clément, Simin Ganatra, Louise Hopkins, Laura Samuel, Kyril Zlotnikov www.wigmore-hall.org.uk/competitions Photography: DH&Co The Wigmore Hall Trust Registered Charity No. 1024838
Photo: Bo Huang
Rolston String Quartet
Astral Artists 2016-2018 | 2016 BISQC First Prize Winner
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2019 BISQC COM PETITORS! Astral is a Philadelphia-based, early career incubator that fosters ingenuity in rising-star classical musicians. astralartists.org
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This is your classroom. Koerner Hall
Study at The Glenn Gould School Based in Toronto, we are a post-secondary institution with a focus on performance. Our school has inspiring faculty including Dean James Anagnoson, outstanding performance spaces such as Koerner Hall, and a small school size which means 50% more one-on-one studio time. The Glenn Gould School offers degrees and diplomas for three levels of study: Bachelor of Music, Performance (Honours)*, the Artist Diploma (for post-Bachelor studies), and The Rebanks Family Fellowship and International Performance Residency (for post-graduate studies).
Programs of Study The Temerty Orchestral Program working with noted conductors such as Bramwell Tovey and Johannes Debus
Vocal Studies and the Price Opera Program with Adrianne Pieczonka, chair
The Ihnatowycz Piano Program with Leon Fleisher, chair
rcmusic.com/ggs
* This institution has been granted a consent by the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities to offer this program for a seven-year term starting October 12, 2017. Prospective students are responsible for satisfying themselves that the program and the degree will be appropriate to their needs (e.g., acceptable to potential employers, professional licensing bodies or other educational institutions.)
Banff Centre is helping artists fulfill their dreams.
Donate today to BISQC Banff International String Quartet Competition helps the next generation of chamber musicians reach new heights – you can too. To make a donation, visit banffcentre.ca/donate or call Candice Noakes at 1.888.495.4467
2016 Quartet in the Community: Christina (Jung Yun) Choi, violin; Danny Koo, violin; Keith Hamm, viola; Julie Hereish, cello. Photo by Don Lee.
See you in 2022! We look forward to seeing you at the 14th Banff International String Quartet Competition from August 29 – September 4, 2022.
Your Mountainside Escape The hotel experience at Banff Centre is more than impeccable service and exceptional views. For guests staying on campus, Banff Centre is a lively place to enjoy year‑round events and activities, fine dining, wellness, art exhibits, and cultural performances.
Book your room today banffcentre.ca/hotels 1.800.884.7574 reservations@banffcentre.ca
Dine with us Fresh, local, and infused with creativity. Enjoy fine dining, bistro, or buffet options just steps away from theatres and gallery spaces. Book your table today banffcentre.ca/dining
Photos by Tom Arban, Donald Lee, and Banff Centre.
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