ST. PAUL – May 5, 2010
The Emerald String Quartet from the Music Institute of Chicago won Gold Medals at the 5th annual Saint Paul String Quartet Competition (SPSQC). Coached by Roland Vamos and Marko Dreyer, this exciting quartet displayed razor-sharp ensemble in the technically demanding Ravel and Bartok Quartet movements they prepared. Along with $1000 in prize money, the group was presented with a set of handcrafted music stands made by Gary Anderson of Minneapolis. The Silver Medals and an $800 cash award were garnered by Quartet Danaë, also coached by Vamos at the Music Institute of Chicago. Their thoughtful and taut performance of Mendelssohn’s F-minor quartet was accompanied by a powerful reading of the final movement of Prokofiev’s String Quartet No.2. Bronze Medals and $600 were awarded to the solid Hubert Quartet coached by Deb Price from the Chamber Music Connection in Worthington, Ohio. They performed the first movement of the Haydn’s C major quartet Op. 74/1 and followed with the intense opening movement of Beethoven’s Quartet in f, Op.95. The remaining quartets selected for the SPSQC Final Round were the Malik String Quartet (Twin Cities), RAIE Quartet (Madison, WI), JOSÉ (Twin Cities), and Arcobaleno (Worthington, OH).
The jury for the 2010 SPSQC Final Round was the renowned Cavani String Quartet. Prelim judges were Julie Rosenfeld of the Colorado Quartet, Russell Fallstad of the Fry Street Quartet and Ross Harbough, of the Bergonzi 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.
The SPSQC has now presented its 5th National String Quartet Competition in Sundin Music Hall on the campus of Hamline University. Created as a performance showcase for advanced quartet studies, this unique national event has received superlative acclaim by Strings magazine and many of the most renowned teachers in the country. Its stated aim is to “celebrate excellence in string quartet playing (and) foster an increased appreciation for the chamber music art form, and enhance the music culture in this country.”
The competition is open to high school string quartets from around the country and is always adjudicated by a professional string quartet. With only string quartets competing, it is a simple comparison of ‘apples to apples’. Groups from across the country submit CD recordings of three masterworks of the repertoire. These unedited performances are evaluated by independent jurors in the categories: Tone Quality, Intonation, Ensemble & Balance, and Musical Ideas. The top scoring quartets are invited to compete in the Final Round.
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