Young Quartet Wins National String Quartet Competition
ST. PAUL – April 29, 2009
The Aurelia String Quartet from the Music Institute of Chicago won Gold Medals and the Audience Prize at the 4 th Annual Saint Paul String Quartet Competition (SPSQC). Coached by Roland Vamos and Marko Dreyer, this delightful and beguiling young group (comprised of 14 and 15 year olds) played stylishly in the first movement of the Frank Bridge g-minor quartet and displayed razor-sharp ensemble in the “War” movement of Shostakovich’s Third Quartet. Along with $1000 in prize money, the group was presented with a set of handcrafted music stands made by Gary Anderson of Minneapolis. The Silver Medals and an $800 cash award were garnered by Quartet Danaë , also from the Music Institute of Chicago. Their lush performance of the Adagio-Allegro Vivace movement of Mendelssohn a-minor quartet was in handsome contrast to a taut and powerful rendering of the opening Allegro violento movement of Alberto Ginastera’s String Quartet No.1. Bronze Medals and $600 were awarded to the winsome Arcobaleno Quartet based at the Chamber Music Connection in Worthington, Ohio. They performed the opening movement of the Ravel Quartet and the haunting Adagio from Shostakovich Quartet No.10. The remaining quartets selected for the SPSQC Final Round were Shattuck St. Mary (Faribault), Galoppo (Madison, WI), Adra (Poughkeepsie, NY), and Accelerando (Worthington, OH).
The jury for the 2009 SPSQC Final Round was the renowned Daedalus String Quartet. Prelim judges were Jonah Sirota of the Chiara Quartet, Nelson Lee of the Jupiter Quartet and Laura Thielke, formerly of the Artaria Quartet of Boston. The Saint Paul String Quartet competition was founded in 2006 by Artaria String Quartet violinist Ray Shows. Mr. Shows is the Artistic Director and Administrator of this annual event.
The SPSQC has now presented its 4 th National String Quartet Competition in Sundin Music Hall on the campus of Hamline University. Created as a performance showcase for advanced quartet studies, this unique national event has received superlative acclaim by Strings magazine and many of the most renowned teachers in the country. Its stated aim is to “celebrate excellence in string quartet playing (and) foster an increased appreciation for the chamber music art form, and enhance the music culture in this country.”
The competition is open to high school string quartets from around the country and is always adjudicated by a professional string quartet. With only string quartets competing, it is a simple comparison of ‘apples to apples’. Groups from across the country submit CD recordings of three masterworks of the repertoire. These unedited performances are evaluated by independent jurors in the categories: Tone Quality, Intonation, Ensemble & Balance, and Musical Ideas. The top scoring quartets are invited to compete in the Final Round.
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