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Banff International String Quartet Competition names 2025 finalists
The mountains are alive with music this week as the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity hosts the 2025 Banff International String Quartet Competition (BISQC) in Banff, Alberta. After a thrilling week of performances by nine exceptional ensembles from around the globe, the competition has narrowed down to three standout quartets.
🎻 The 2025 finalists are:
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Arete Quartet (Seoul)
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Quartet KAIRI (Salzburg)
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Poiesis Quartet (Cincinnati)
The Final Round takes place August 31 at 4 p.m. ET, and for the first time in the competition’s history, the finalists will be able to design their own curated program of repertoire — a change that allows each ensemble to showcase their artistic voice with greater freedom.
The jury
This year’s panel brings together world-class performers and educators: Eckart Runge, Marie Chilemme, Jonathan Crow, Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, Honggang Li, Eugene Drucker, and David Ying.
What’s at stake
The laureate quartets will be offered residency opportunities at Banff Centre, while the first prize winners will receive a career-changing package:
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A three-year artistic and career development program
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A touring and recording residency
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The Southern Methodist University Peak Fellowship Ensemble-in-Residence Prize, a paid residency valued at $110,000 CAD
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An Esterházy Foundation Residency, featuring concerts at Haydn Hall in Eisenstadt and at the Lucerne Festival
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A two-week Chamber Music in Residency with Britten Pears Arts in England
Even quartets not advancing to the final round won’t leave empty-handed — each receives the Christine and David Anderson Prize of $5,000 CAD in recognition of their artistry.
A legacy of champions
Since its founding, BISQC has launched the careers of some of today’s most celebrated ensembles. Past winners include the Isidore String Quartet (2022), Marmen and Viano Quartets (2019), Rolston Quartet (2016), Dover Quartet (2013), and the St. Lawrence String Quartet (1992), among many others.
As the competition draws to a close, anticipation is high to see which quartet will join this distinguished list and carry the BISQC legacy forward.