About the SPSQC
Founded in 2006 as a performance forum for outstanding high school chamber musicians, the Saint Paul String Quartet Competition's primary mission is to celebrate excellence in string quartet playing, foster an increased appreciation for the chamber music art form, and enhance the music culture in this country. The SPSQC has garnered a national reputation for showcasing our nations finest pre-college string players and young artists from this event now populate the most prestigious conservatories and music programs in the country.
The competition is open to quartets whose members are 19 years or younger. Unidentified copies of quartets’ audition recordings are reviewed and individually ranked by a preliminary jury of three from across the country. The top scoring quartets are invited to St. Paul to perform in the Final Round event, juried by a renowned professional string quartet. Both the preliminary and final juries consist of members of reknowned quartets including the Arianna, Chiara, Daedalus, Jupiter, Maia, Miami, Miro, Rackham, Takacs and former members of the Artaria String Quartet.
The SPSQC Awards include $2,600 in Gold, Silver, and Bronze prize money, and a set of beautiful handmade wooden stands from Anderson Music Stands for the winning quartet. More important, the performers take away a profound sense of accomplishment and pride in a job well done.
The Genesis of the SPSQC
The exceptional Saint Paul String Quartet Competition (SPSQC) was created to encourage the development of and provide a performance opportunity for pre-college string players from across the country to display advanced levels of preparation and performance of chamber music. Modeled on the proven success of the Banff International, Fischoff National, Concert Artist Guild, and other similar events, the SPSQC has emerged as a unique contest for string quartets. With the preliminary and final jurors having extensive professional string quartet experience, and with only string quartets competing, the SPSQC allows a straightforward and fair comparison of "apples to apples".
The Process
How do you compare several different string quartets? So many subjective preferences go into the equation. At the outset we attempt to level the playing field as much as possible. As the renowned Eugene Lehner of the legendary Kolisch Quartet made plain, "all good quartet players must know Haydn and the Classical Era - the birthplace of the quartet". Thus, the first required element of the competition became clear; a celebrated string quartet by Joseph Haydn.
What else is indicative of accomplishment as a quartet? Each group must show its sonic palette and technical capacity in a variety of style periods. Here a Romantic Era work emerged as important. Beethoven and Schubert quartets were included in this range.
How about something modern or contemporary? For our high school quartets, a work from the most recent musical expression, the 20th century, is vital to establishing the quartet’s complete range of stylistic awareness and technical accomplishment. Some groups choose well-established compositions, others more avant-garde or cutting edge - all to best suit the style of the ensemble and all of it quality string quartet music.
Now what happens? Each of the ensembles prepares and submits a recording from the three required musical periods in early May. The pre-liminary jury members listen individually to unidentified copies of the applicants' recordings. They then return detailed written comments on the submitted performances. Each piece is scored in the categories of Tone Quality, Intonation, Ensemble & Balance, and Musical Ideas. The 6 groups receiving the highest overall scores (the aggregate total) are invited to compete in the Final Round event in St. Paul.
