2012 Event Great Success
CHAMBER MUSIC SUPERBOWL HAS A WINNER
ST. PAUL – April 30, 2012
On a rainy day in late April eight quartets from across the country played their hearts out in a highly competitive set of final rounds at the 2012 Saint Paul String Quartet Competition.
A superlative performance gave the Contrapunctus Quartet from Chicago the edge in this closely contested race. Members of Midwest Young Artists Chamber Music Program, this quartet of HS Seniors won Gold Medals with their performance of Mendelssohn Quartet in f minor, Op.80 and Bartok Quartet No.4. Silver Medals went to the Meshugene Quartet for their powerful rendition of Grieg’s g-minor quartet and a breathtaking performance of the Shostakovich Quartet No.9. They too are members of the remarkable Midwest Young Artists Chamber Music Program. The Bronze medals were given to yet another noteworthy young quartet, Komár String Quartet, from Arlington HS in New York. Their depth and range of interpretation in Brahms a-minor and Bartok No.2 quartets was palpable. The prestigious Haydn Prize for best interpretation of the master’s work went easily to Quartet Ventoso from the Music Institute of Chicago. Honorable mention went to the very fine Alpaca String Quartet also from Chicago’s MYA program. The youthful Quartet Ventoso (14 & 15 year olds) played superbly and won the Audience Prize.
The jury for the 2012 SPSQC Final Round was the youthful but wise Escher String Quartet from New York. Prelim judges were Felicia Moye formerly 1st violin of the Miami String Quartet, Ken Martinson formerly violist of the Artaria Quartet of Boston, and Chris Costanza, cellist of the St. Lawrence String Quartet. The Saint Paul String Quartet competition was founded in 2006 by Artaria String Quartet violinist Ray Shows. Mr. Shows is the Artistic Director and Administrator of this annual event.
Sewell Family & Anna M. Heilmaier
Charitable Foundations
Dennis Carey & Bruce Taylor
Anderson Music Stands &
Lotus Design
Artaria String Quartet – Haydn Prize
