2019 BISQC
WINNERS' TOUR
Co-Laureates of BISQC 2019:
MARMEN QUARTET &
VIANO STRING QUARTET
ABOUT BISCQ
BANFF INTERNATIONAL STRING QUARTET COMPETITION (BISQC)
For over 30 years, Banff International String Quartet Competition has celebrated the art of chamber music while providing career support for emerging string quartets. Intended as a one-time special event, the first competition was held in 1983 to mark the 50th anniversary of Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. The outstanding success of the first competition inspired organizers to make this a triennial event which, in 2019, celebrates its 13th iteration.
The competition’s festival format gives a remarkably dedicated chamber music audience an in-depth and behind-the-scenes look at the thrill and heartbreak of a live chamber music competition as 10 of the world’s best young string quartets vie for over $300,000 in cash and prizes to support their emerging careers. The triennial competition is a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions and is widely recognized among the top events of its kind.
A significant highlight for the winning quartet is the Winner’s Concert Tour that will bring them through North America and Europe in the years immediately following their win in order to build on the success and propel them into the future. A residency at Banff Centre, a CD recording and, new for 2019, the Peak Fellowship Residency at Southern Methodist’s Meadows School, a 2-year paid residency worth $160,000 USD round out this prestigious prize.
Past winners have included the St. Lawrence, Miró, Daedalus, Jupiter, TinAlley, Dover, and Rolston String Quartets who’s names are among the most notable in the world.
September 2019
PHOTOS
Marmen Quartet (left column)
Photography: Don Lee (trees), Marco Borggreve
Viano String Quartet (right column)
Photography: Don Lee (trees), Jeff Fasano
Click each image to download a hi-res version
MARMEN QUARTET
Johannes Marmen, violin
Ricky Gore, violin
Bryony Gibson-Cornish, viola
Steffan Morris, cello
The Marmen Quartet is emerging as one of the most interesting voices on the UK chamber music scene. Winners of the Grand Prize at the 2019 Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition, 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 (Four Quarters by Thomas Adès). Founded in 2013 at the Royal College of Music, London, the Marmen Quartet consists of Johannes Marmen, Ricky Gore, Bryony Gibson-Cornish and Steffan Morris.
As the current holders of the Guildhall School of Music String Quartet Fellowship, they are based in London where they study with Simon Rowland-Jones and John Myerscough. They are also completing a Master of Chamber Music with Oliver Wille at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover. During 2015-17, they were the inaugural winners of Music In The Round's 'Bridge' Scheme, which supported 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 they 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.
Viano String Quartet
Lucy Wang, violin
Hao Zhou, violin
Aiden Kane, viola
Tate Zawadiuk, cello
Praised for their “huge range of dynamics, massive sound, and spontaneity” (American Record Guide), 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.
The Viano String Quartet was formed in 2015 at the Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles and consists of Lucy Wang, Hao Zhou, Aiden Kane, and Tate Zawadiuk. They have performed with world-class musicians such as 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 Quartet-in-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.
