Tenth London International String Quartet Competition 4th-9th April 2006
November 2005
“The London International String Quartet Competition has been setting standards for the art of the string quartet for many years. It regularly discovers the best young quartets by testing them through the very best of the quartet repertoire. As the richness of the London music scene vividly demonstrates, the art of the quartet is brilliantly alive - and many of those enriching it won fame with the Competition first”
Sir John Tusa, Managing Director, Barbican Centre
Neville Abraham, Chairman of The London String Quartet Foundation, is delighted to announce the names of the thirteen quartets that have been invited to participate in the Tenth London International String Quartet Competition 2006, the centrepiece of London String Quartet Week 4th-9th April 2006.
The Competition is open to string quartets from anywhere in the world whose members are below the age of 35 on 9th April 2006. Originally the brainchild of Sir Yehudi Menuhin, the Competition is held every three years and is considered by many to be the most prestigious of its kind in the world. Past prizewinners include the Takacs, the Hagen, the Alexander, the Vanbrugh, the Wihan, the Ysaye, the Endellion and the Belcea String Quartets, all of whom are now internationally renowned. The preliminary rounds will take place on 4-7th April 2006 at the Royal Academy of Music with the semi-finals and Final on 8th & 9th April 2006 at Wigmore Hall. All performances are open to the public.
The pre-Competition stage was held earlier this month. From the many applications and recordings received, a highly respected Invitation Jury has selected the following string quartets (listed in alphabetical order): The Asasello Quartet (Germany); The Bronte Quartet (UK); The Carducci String Quartet (UK); The Enso String Quartet (USA); The Formosa Quartet (USA); The Lloyd Carr-Harris String Quartet (Canada); The Nador Quartet (Hungary); The Navarra Quartet (UK); The Pavao String Quartet (UK); The Zemlinsky Quartet (Czech Republic); The Quatuor Modigliani (France); The Sacconi Quartet (UK); The TinAlley String Quartet (Australia)
The Invitation Jury consisted of Ioan Davies, Director of Music, Pro Corda and cellist and founder member of the Fitzwilliam String Quartet 1968-1986; Robin Ireland, viola player with The Lindsays for twenty years until the quartet's retirement in July 2005; Mark Messenger, Head of Strings, Royal College of Music and violinist with the Bochmann String Quartet; David Roth, second violinist with the Allegri String Quartet 1969-1999 and a teacher at Southampton University and Jill Segal, Managing Director of Connaught Artists Management Ltd, promoters of and agents for young musical talent.
As well as hosting the Tenth London International String Quartet Competition, London String Quartet Week 2006 will also offer the public a unique chance to attend concerts, recitals, master-classes and lectures at a range of venues around London. Further details of the programme for London String Quartet Week 2006 will be announced early in the New Year.
The aim of the London String Quartet Foundation is to promote the discovery and development of talent and audiences for the string quartet through musical and educational events at which both established and younger talented string quartets are showcased. Chairman Neville Abraham commented: “Next April we will present perhaps the most exciting celebration of the art of the string quartet in the heart of London, with some 44 concert performances over just 7 days. This is a fantastic - and rare - opportunity to listen to some of the best young musicians from North America & Canada, Europe and Australia as they compete for a place on the world stage”.