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The Isidore String Quartet\u00a0has been named the winner of the the 14th Banff International String Quartet Competition (BISQC) in Alberta, Canada. The American ensemble \u2013 comprising violinists\u00a0Phoenix Avalon and Adrian Steele, violist Devin Moore and cellist Joshua McClendon \u2013 received the top prize of CAD $25,000; a concert tour of Europe and the US; residencies at the Banff Centre, Meadows School, Lucerne Festival and Britten Pears Arts; and coaching, career guidance and mentorship.<\/p>\n
Second prize, including CAD $25,000, went to Opus14 from Norway\/Sweden, while third prize, including CAD\u00a0$8,000, went to the Balourdet Quartet from the USA.<\/p>\n
The contest took place over\u00a0seven days during which nine quartets from around the world (previously selected by a Preliminary Jury) performed four programmes: the 21st Century Haydn Round, the Romantic Round, the Canadian Commission Round, and the Recital Ad-Lib Round.\u00a0Three quartets were then selected to advance to a fifth and final round, performing a complete work of Beethoven<\/a><\/strong> for a sold-out audience in the Jenny Belzberg Theatre.<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> Serving on this year\u2019s Banff jury were cellist Estelle Choi, violinist James Ehnes<\/a><\/strong>, violist Juan-Miguel Hernandez, violinist Barnab\u00e1s Kelemen, violinist Catherine Manson, violinist K\u00e1roly Schranz, and cellist Sun-Won Yang.<\/p>\n