Artistic Director Writes
What is London String Quartet Week? Could it be a mad day of activity for all at the Museum of London? Could it be concerts featuring some of the best young talent in this country at the moment? Could it be masterclasses with the nation's leading exponents of chamber music? Could it be recitals by internationally famous quartets?
Well, London String Quartet Week 2005 was all of those things and more! Over the last two years, as Artistic Director for the London String Quartet Weeks, I have deliberately focussed on getting more young people involved in the fantastic medium of the String Quartet, partly by visiting them in schools and partly by placing string quartet activities in less than conventional venues. So what better place to kick off our week than the Museum of London? Sian Davies, animateur and education projects manager extraordinaire had made sure that every nook and cranny of this wide open space had string quartet related activities going on. At the centre were a number of presentations by Gallions and North Beckton Primary schools who had been working with the Stanford Quartet and our team of animateurs over the previous weeks.
One strand that ran through the week this year was the first ever National Youth String Quartet Competition. Audiences had the chance to hear some of the hottest young quartet talent in the surroundings of magnificent City churches and the splendour of Goldsmiths' Hall. The Azzura Quartet, comprising players from many conservatoires won the overall prize with their performance of Shostakovich's Quartet no.11, and the Chen Quartet from Chetham's School of Music won the Under 18s prize. However, one of my abiding memories of the week was a moving performance a few days later of Britten's haunting 3rd Quartet given by the outstanding Myrios Quartet from the Royal Northern College of Music.
On the Thursday night, as the rain pelted down on the roof of St. Giles' Cripplegate, the Wihan Quartet gave their 20th anniversary concert. The Wihan Quartet won both the First Prize and the Audience Prize at the Fifth International String Quartet Competition in 1991 and this anniversary concert mirrored the Quartet's winning programme of Janacek and Beethoven.
2006 sees the Tenth London International Competition so the events of London String Quartet Week will be fitted around the Preliminary Rounds - but in just a few short years the London String Quartet Weeks have evolved into a major part of the national musical landscape, reinforcing all that we know is superb about string quartets whilst gaining new audiences and breaking down the misconceptions of exclusivity.
Mark Messenger, Artistic Director - London String Quartet Week
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