BISQC History

August 29 - September 4, 2022

View Competition Guide (pdf)

Laureates

1. Isidore String Quartet (USA)
2. Opus13 (Norway/Sweden)
3. Balourdet Quartet (USA)

Abeo Quartet (USA)
Animato Kwartet (The Netherlands/Norway)
Dior Quartet (Israel/USA/Korea-Canada/St. Lucia)
Karski Quartet (Poland/Belgium)
Quatuor Agate (France)
Terra String Quartet (USA/Venezuela/Iceland/Australia)
 

Commissioned Piece

Dinuk Wijeratne, The Disappearance of Lisa Gherardini

The Canadian Commission Prize, in honour of the R.S. Williams & Sons Company: Quatuor Agate (France)

The R.S. Williams & Sons Haydn Prize: Isidore String Quartet (USA)

Esterházy Foundation Prize: Isidore String Quartet (USA)

St. Lawrence String Quartet Prize at Stanford University: Isidore String Quartet (USA)

Competition Jury

• Estelle Choi
• James Ehnes
• Juan-Miguel Hernandez
• Barnabas Kelemen
• Catherine Manson
• Karoly Schranz
• Sung-Won Yang

Preliminary Jury

• Aaron Boyd
• Andrew Wan  
• Andrew Yee

August 26 - September 1, 2019
 

View Competition Guide (pdf)

Laureates

1. Marmen Quartet (UK) and Viano String Quartet (Canada/USA) - Southern Methodist University Peak Fellowship Ensemble-in-Residence Prize
2. Callisto Quartet (USA) - Creative residency at Banff Centre including coaching and mentorship opportunities

Eliot Quartett (Canada/Germany/Russia)
Omer Quartet (USA)
Quatuor Agate (France)
Quatuor Elmire (France)
Ruisi Quartet (UK)
Ulysses Quartet (Canada/USA/Taiwan)
Vera Quartet (Spain/USA)

Commissioned Piece

Matthew Whittall, Bright Ferment (String Quartet No. 2)

Canadian Commission Prize in honour of the R.S. Williams & Sons Company: Marmen Quartet (UK) and Viano String Quartet (Canada/USA)

R.S. Williams & Sons Haydn Prize: Marmen Quartet (UK)

Esterházy Foundation Prize: Marmen Quartet (UK) and Viano String Quartet (Canada/USA)

St. Lawrence String Quartet Prize at Stanford University: Marmen Quartet (UK) and Viano String Quartet (Canada/USA)

Competition Jury

• Gillian Ansell
• Martin Beaver
• Adrian Fung
• David Harrington
• Nobuko Imai
• Phillip Setzer
• Ursula Smith
   

Preliminary Jury

• Christopher Costanza
• Jonathan Crow  
• Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt

August 29 - September 4, 2016

View Competition Guide (pdf)

Laureates

1. Rolston String Quartet (Canada)
2. Tesla Quartet (Russia/South Korea/USA)
3. Castalian String Quartet (UK)

Aeolus Quartet (USA)
Argus Quartet (USA)
Omer Quartet (USA)
Quartet Arpa (Japan)
Quartet Berlin-Tokyo (Israel/Japan)
Ulysses Quartet (Canada/USA/Taiwan)
Verona Quartet (Canada/USA/Singapore)
 

Commissioned Piece

Zosha Di Castri, String Quartet No. 1 

Canadian Commission Prize, in honour of the R.S. Williams & Sons: Tesla Quartet

R.S. Williams & Sons Haydn Prize: Tesla Quartet

Esterházy Foundation Prize: Rolston String Quartet

Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance Prize: Rolston String Quartet

Competition Jury

• Vera Beths
• Denis Brott
• Isabel Charisius
• Yoshiko Nakura
• Geoff Nuttall
• Peter Salaff
• Alasdair Tait

Preliminary Jury

• Clive Greensmith
• Douglas McNabney
• Philip Setzer

August 26 - September 1, 2013

Laureates

Commissioned Piece

Vivian Fung, String Quartet No. 3

Canadian Commission Prize: Dover Quartet

Székely Prize for the performance of a Schubert quartet: Dover Quartet

R.S. Williams & Sons Haydn Prize: Dover Quartet

Esterházy Foundation Prize: Dover Quartet

Competition Jury

• Miguel da Silva, viola (France)
• András Fejér, cello (Hungary)
• Kikuei Ikeda, violin (Japan)
• Nicolas Kitchen, violin (USA)
• Garth Knox, viola (Ireland)
• Richard Lester, cello (UK)
• Scott St. John, violin (Canada)

Preliminary Jury

• Norman Fischer, cello
• Jerzy Kaplanek, violin
• Roger Tapping, viola

August 30 - September 5, 2010

Laureates

Commissioned Piece

Ana Sokolovic, Commedia dell'arte

Canadian Commission Prize: Cecilia String Quartet

Székely Prize for the performance of a Beethoven or Schubert quartet: Afiara String Quartet

Competition Jury

• Terrence Helmer, viola (Canada)
• Erich Hobarth, violin (Austria)
• Louise Hopkins, cello (UK)
• Hsin-Yun Huang, viola (Taiwan/USA)
• Joel Krosnick, cello (USA)
• Tim Vogler, violin (Germany)
• Timothy Ying, violin (USA/Canada)

Preliminary Jury

• Denis Brott, cello
• Ian Swensen, violin
• Marka Gustavsson, viola

August 28 - September 2, 2007

Laureates

Commissioned Piece

Kelly Marie Murphy, Dark Energy

Canadian Commission Prize: Koryo String Quartet (USA)

Székely Prize for the best performance of a Bartók quartet: Ariel String Quartet

Competition Jury

• Henk Guittart, viola (The Netherlands)
• Paul Katz, cello (USA)
• Lesley Robertson, cello (Canada)
• Gerhard Schulz, viola (Austria)
• Mariana Sirbu, violin (Romania)
• Simon Standage, violin (UK)

Preliminary Jury

• Christopher Costanza, cello
• Heime Muller, violin
• Daniel Phillips, violin

August 31 - September 5, 2004

Laureates

Commissioned Piece / Pièce de concert

Stewart Grant, String Quartet No. 2, Banff Variations

Best performance of the pièce de concert: Ensō Quartet

Székely Prize for the best performance of a Beethoven quartet: Jupiter Quartet

Competition Jury

• Andrew Dawes, violin (Canada)
• Levon Chilingirian, violin (UK)
• Sadao Harada, cello (Japan)
• Philippe Muller, cello (France)
• Barry Shiffman, violin/viola (Canada)
• Sung-Won Yang, cello (South Korea)

Preliminary Jury

• Martin Beaver, violin
• Keith Harvey, cello
• Jean Sulem, viola

August 28 - September 2, 2001

Laureates

Commissioned Piece / Pièce de concert

John Estacio, Test Run

Best performance of the pièce de concert: Daedalus Quartet

Székely Prize for the best performance of a Beethoven quartet: Daedalus Quartet

Competition Jury

• Andrew Dawes, violin (Canada)
• Lorand Fenyves, violin (Israel/Canada)
• Keith Harvey, cello (UK)
• Marina Hoover, cello (Canada)
• Josef Kluson, viola (Czech Republic)
• Katherine Murdock, viola (USA)
• Donald Weilerstein, violin (USA)

Preliminary Jury

• David Takeno, violin
• Wolfgang Laufer, cello
• Jean Sulem, viola

August 16 - 22, 1998

Laureates

Commissioned Piece / Pièce de concert

Chan Ka Nin, String Quartet No. 3

Best performance of the pièce de concert: Miró Quartet

Competition Jury

• Andrew Dawes, violin (Canada)
• Stephanie Gonley, violin (UK)
• Bonnie Hampton, cello (USA)
• Geoffrey Nuttall, violin (Canada/USA)
• Christoph Poppen, violin (Germany)
• Dennis Simons, violin  (Canada/UK)
• Jean Sulem, viola (France)

Preliminary Jury

• Lorand Fenyves, violin
• Paul Katz, cello
• David Takeno, violin

August 27 - September, 1995

Laureates

Commissioned Piece / Pièce de concert

Heather Schmidt, Phantoms

Best performance of the pièce de concert: Henschell Quartett

Competition Jury

• Andrew Dawes, violin (Canada)
• Rostislav Dubinsky, violin (Russia/USA)
• Břetislav Novotný, violin (Czech Republic)
• Martha Strongin-Katz, viola (USA)
• Gábor Takács-Nagy, violin (Hungary)
• David Takeno, violin (Japan)
• Georges Zeisel (France)

Preliminary Jury

• Lorand Fenyves, violin
• Sydney Humphreys, violin
• Dennis Simons, violin

April 19 - 25, 1992

Laureates

Commissioned Piece / Pièce de concert

Marjan Mozetich, Lament in the Trampled Garden

Best performance of the pièce de concert: St. Lawrence String Quartet

Competition Jury

• Earl Carlyss, violin (USA)
• Andrew Dawes, violin (Canada)
• Philip De Groote, cello (South Africa/UK)
• Sandor Devich, violin (Hungary)
• Jaroslav Karlovsky, viola (Czech Republic)
• Julie Rosenfeld, violin (USA)
• Milan Škampa, viola (Czech Republic) 

Preliminary Jury

• Lorand Fenyves, violin
• Jaroslav Karlovsky, viola
• Martha Strongin Katz, violin/viola

April 2 - 8, 1989

Laureates

1. Quatuor Manfred (France)
2. Cassatt Quartet (USA)
3. Keller Quartet (Hungary)
4. Brindisi Quartet (England)

Augustine String Quartet (USA)
Beijing String Quartet (China/ Belgium)
Ludwig Quartet (France)
New Zealand String Quartet (New Zealand)
Sierra String Quartet (USA)
Westbrook String Quartet (USA)

Commissioned Piece / Pièce de concert

Allan Gordon Bell, Arche II

Best performance of the pièce de concert: Cassatt Quartet

Competition Jury

• Serge Collot, viola (France)
• Andrew Dawes, violin (Canada)
• Sandor Devich, violin (Hungary)
• Koichiro Harada, violin (Japan)
• Martin Lovett, cello (England)
• Scott Nickrenz, viola (USA)
• Artur Paciorkiewicz, viola (Poland)

Preliminary Jury

• Zdenek Konicek, cello
• Eugene Lehner, viola
• Gerald Stanick, viola

April 13 - 19, 1986

Laureates

1. Franciscan Quartet (USA)
2. Carmina Quartet (Switzerland)
3. Lark Quartet (USA)
4. Cavani Quartet (USA)

Amati Quartet (Switzerland)
Coull Quartet (England)
Debut Quartet (Canada)
Jagdish Mistry Quartet (England)
Quatuor Parisii (France)
Vanbrugh Quartet (England)

Commissioned Piece / Pièce de concert

John Hawkins, Three Archetypes

Best performance of the piéce de concert: Quatuor Parisii (France)

Competition Jury

• Thomas Brandis, violin (Germany)
• Andrew Dawes, violin (Canada)
• Felix Galimir, violin (Austria)
• Sidney Griller, violin (UK)
• Raphael Hillyer, violin (USA)
• Bretislav Novotny, violin (Czech Republic)
• Jaap Schröder, violin (The Netherlands)

Preliminary Jury

• Thomas Rolston
• Lorand Fenyves
• Zoltan Szekely

April 24 - 30, 1983

Laureates

1. Colorado Quartet (USA)
2. Hagen Quartet (Austria)
3. Lydian Quartet (USA)
4. Mendelssohn Quartet (USA)
5. Eder Quartet (Hungary)

Vermillion String Quartet (USA)
Da Vinci Quartet (USA)
Manchester Quartet (USA)
Brodsky String Quartet (UK)
Harrington Quartet (USA)

Commissioned Piece / Pièce de concert

Harry Somers, Movement for String Quartet

Best performance of the pièce de concert: Lydian Quartet

Competition Jury

• Ede Banda, cello (Hungary)
• Andrew Dawes, violin (Canada)
• Piero Farulli, viola (Italy)
• Raphael Hillyer, viola (USA)
• Emanuel Hurwitz, violin (UK)
• Mischa Schneider, cello (USA)

Preliminary Jury

• Thomas Rolston
• Lorand Fenyves
• Zoltan Szekely