Tenth London International String Quartet Competition 2006

The Rules

1. The Competition is exclusively for string quartets.

2. The Competition is open to all nationalities provided the age of each musician in the quartet is under 35 years on 9^th April 2006. The application form, documents and tapes must be returned to the Competition Administrator on or before 9^th September 2005.

3. Applicants must send the official application form, or a photocopy, completed in English to the Administrator together with the following:

   1. Proof of date of birth for each member.
   2. Resume of the quartet's history plus details of training, awards and diplomas for each member.
   3. Two recent professional references, which should also verify the authenticity and date of each recording (see (g) below).
   4. A recent black and white photo.
   5. Details of any professional engagements of the quartet in 2005, 2006 and 2007.
   6. Confirmation whether the quartet has an exclusive contract with an agent, impresario, record company or similar organisation. If so, then the quartet should also supply written authorisation from such groups confirming their agreement to the quartet taking part in the Competition.
   7. Three recordings for the pre-Competition stage, as follows:
4. 1. An audio recording (tape, CD or DAT) of the quartet performing any one of Haydn's Op. 64 or Op. 76 quartets.
   2. An audio recording (tape, CD or DAT) of the quartet performing Wolf's Italian Serenade for String Quartet in G major.
   3. A recent video tape of the quartet performing the first movement of the selected work by Haydn (see 4. 1)) above).

   Each of the video and audio recordings should be recorded in one “take” and must not be edited or altered in any way. The Competition reserves the right to disqualify applicants entering studio enhanced or modified recordings. The recordings are not returnable.

5. Quartets selected to take part in the Competition will be informed on or before the 1^st December 2005. Subject to the advice of the Invitation Jury, 12 quartets will be selected to compete in London.

6. The Competition proper will take place between arrival no later than Monday 3^rd April, and the evening of Sunday 9^th April 2006. The Competition is divided into three stages - Preliminary (Tuesday 4^th, Wednesday 5^th, Thursday 6^thApril), Semi-Final (Saturday 8^th April) and Final (Sunday 9^th April).

   Musical Programme

7. Pre-Competition Stage: a selected Haydn quartet and Wolf's Italian Serenade (see point 4 above) submitted by 9^th September 2005

8. Preliminary Stage (Tuesday 5^th, Wednesday 6^th and Thursday 7^th April 2006):

   1. The venue will be the Duke's Hall at the Royal Academy of Music.

   2. Each invited quartet will be required to perform two recitals, one each on two of the three days. The precise order, time and days of each quartet's performance will be publicised one month in advance.

   3. The programme for the two recitals will be as follows:-

   Recital 1		Recital 2
   Any one of Op 64 or Op 76	Haydn	*Any one of ten late quartets Mozart
   Italian Serenade in G major	Wolf	(see below)
   Six Bagatelles Op 9	Webern	†One work from List A or List B
   Twelve Microludes Op 13	Kurtag	(see below)

   *G Major K387, D Minor K421, E Flat Major K428, B Flat Major K458, A Major K 464, C Major K465, D Major K499, D Major K575, B Flat Major K589, F Major K590

   †Lists A and B

   Entrants must submit one significant work from the Romantic period (such as those in List A) and one composed after 1918 (such as those in List B). Selected quartets will be informed by the 1^st December if their proposed programme is acceptable; and by the end of February which of the two is to be performed in Recital 2. (Note: the work not performed as part of Recital 2 will be required to be performed on 9^th April by those quartets selected for the Final).

   †List A (Romantic period)

   Brahms	Any Quartet
   Debussy	Quartet in G minor
   Dvorak	Quartet in A flat major Op 105 or Quartet in G major Op 106
   Elgar	Quartet Op 83
   Franck	Quartet in D major
   Mendelssohn	Any Quartet
   Ravel	Quartet in F major
   Schubert	Quartet in G major D887, Quartet in G minor D173, Quartet in D minor D810 No 14 or Quartet in A minor D804 No 13
   Schumann	Any Quartet
   Smetana	Quartet in E minor Op 116 No 1
   Tchaikovsky	Quartet in E flat major No 3
   Verdi	Quartet in E minor

   †List B (post-1918)

   Bartok	Any Quartet
   Berg	Lyric Suite
   Britten	Any Quartet
   Carter	Quartet No 5
   Janacek	Quartet No 1 or No 2
   Ligeti	Quartet No 2
   Prokofiev	Quartet No 2
   Schoenberg	Quartet No 3 or No 4
   Shostakovich	Quartet No 3, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 or 15
   Tippett	Any Quartet

   Entrants are reminded that they may propose other works to those listed above. Should they do so, they will only be accepted if, in the opinion of the Invitation Jury, they are of a comparable standing to those listed above, and would merit the prospect of a performance in the Final.

   Subject to the votes of the Competition Jury, at least 6 quartets will go forward to the Semi-final at the Wigmore Hall.

9. Semi-final (Saturday 8^th April 2006):

   The programming and order of play of each concert will be decided by ballot.

   Semi-finalists must play any one of Beethoven's quartets except Op 18 and the Große Fuge Op 133

   Subject to the votes of the Competition Jury, at least 3 quartets will be selected to perform in the Final the following evening at Wigmore Hall.

10. Final (evening of Sunday 9^th April 2006):

    The ensembles that reach the Final Stage of the Competition will be asked to perform one of their two choices from List A and List B on the night of the Final (the work not performed in Recital 2).

    The order of play will be decided by the Jury. After the Final, there will be a prize-giving ceremony on stage.

11. The works chosen by the ensembles and stated on the application form will only be considered final after confirmation by the Competition Administrator and can thereafter only be substituted before the Competition with prior approval.

12. The Final of the Competition will be recorded by BBC Radio 3 for broadcast at a later date.

    Judging Procedure

13. The International Competition Jury will be directed to make their judgements taking into account all the performances of all the stages of the Competition.

14. By way of example, therefore, at the end of the Final the International Competition Jury's verdict will take into account ALL the performances at the Competition, whereas the Audience Prize of necessity will be judged on only the performances at the Final.

15. Each International Competition Jury member will be asked to vote for quartets in their own order of preference at the end of each stage with no prior discussion, and therefore with no need of a chairman. Selections to go forward to the next round, and prize winners, will be made by majority vote, with the Borda count (order of ranking by each member) used in case of deadlock.

16. The decisions of the Juries are Final. Contestants shall not communicate with Jury members during the Competition, nor shall any other person communicate with Jury members on behalf of any contestant. Violation of this rule may well result in disqualification.

    Practical Information

17. The Preliminary stage of the Competition will take place at the Royal Academy of Music in London. The Semi-final will take place on Saturday 8^th April and the Final on the evening of Sunday 9^th April, at London's Wigmore Hall. All performances will be open to the public.

18. The London International String Quartet Competition will if required provide five return economy travel tickets to London, for each quartet.

19. The London International String Quartet Competition will if required provide free lodging for contestants, with shared kitchen facilities, for the nights of Monday 3^rd April to Sunday 9^th April inclusive. Any additional nights must be requested and paid for in advance.

20. Each quartet will be given a per diem of £ per day to go towards the cost of food and beverages or a voucher for use at the Royal Academy, if requested.

21. Separate and dedicated rehearsal rooms for each quartet, including the provision of music stands, will be available at the Royal Academy of Music. Concert rooms at the Royal Academy of Music will also be available throughout the Competition, but on a rota basis.

22. The organisers of the Competition can accept no responsibility for loss or damage to candidates' instruments or any other property at any time. Candidates are advised to effect their own insurance arrangements.

23. Previous winners of the First Prize of the Competition are excluded from further participation in any subsequent Competition.

24. All contestants shall agree to have their performances recorded, filmed, or broadcast on radio or television anywhere in the world. No payment will be made to contestants for the recording or broadcasting of Competition performances.

25. Only the English text will be considered valid in the case of dispute and English Law will prevail.