London String Quartet Week
4th - 10th April 2006

Now in its fourth year, London String Quartet Week is organised by the London String Quartet Foundation, whose mission is to promote the discovery and development of talent and audiences for the string quartet.

The highlight of the Week is the Tenth London International String Quartet Competition, now recognised as among the best of its kind in the world. After a tough pre-competition stage, the Invitation Jury has invited thirteen quartets to London to compete for some of the most prestigious awards. Around the Competition a lively mix of events and activities has been programmed to encourage deeper understanding of some of the greatest music that has ever been composed.

Click here for the full programme for the Week

Tenth London International String Quartet Competition

During the first four days of the Week each quartet will play two recitals for the audience and the International Jury. Recital I will comprise their choice of any one of Haydn's Op 64 or Op 76 series, plus Wolf Italian Serenade in G major, Webern Six Bagatelles Op 9 and Kurtag Twelve Microludes Op 13, the last three of which are the Competition set pieces. Recital II covers the ensemble's choice of one of the ten late Mozart quartets, and one of their two chosen pieces of any significant work composed after 1826.

The International Jury will then select 6 or 7 quartets to go through to the Semi-Finals on 8 April at Wigmore Hall, where they will perform their chosen Beethoven quartet. Only 3 or 4 quartets will go through to the Final on 9 April, where they will play the remaining chosen work composed after 1826. The final result and prize-giving will take place directly after the concert.

The competing quartets are:

Asasello Quartet (Germany), Bronte Quartet (UK), Carducci String Quartet (UK), Enso String Quartet (USA), Formosa Quartet (USA/Taiwan), Lloyd Carr-Harris String Quartet (Canada), Nador Quartet (Hungary), Navarra Quartet (UK), Pavao String Quartet (UK), Quatuor Modigliani (France), Sacconi Quartet (UK), TinAlley String Quartet (Australia), Zemlinsky Quartet (ex-Penguin Quartet, Czech Republic)

Members of the International Jury are:

Josef Kluson (viola, Prazak Quartet, Czech Republic), Martin Lovett OBE (cello, Amadeus Quartet, UK), Eckart Runge (cello, Artemis Quartet, Germany), Peter Salaff (violin, Cleveland Quartet, USA), Are Sandbakken (viola, Oslo String Quartet, Norway), Kazuki Sawa (violin, Sawa Quartet, Japan), John Fraser (Director, Recorded Productions, EMI Classics, UK), Annette Mangold (Director of Artistic Planning, Vienna Konzerthaus, Austria) and Georges Zeisel (Director, ProQuartet, France)

Illustrated Talks

A series of not-to-be-missed sessions by leading experts who are passionate about what they do. See full programme above for date, time and venue details.

‘WHAT IS THE FUTURE FOR SMALL ENSEMBLES?’
04 Tuesday

John Gilhooley, Director of Wigmore Hall, chairs a distinguished line-up including members of the International Jury, for this panel discussion.

STRING INSTRUMENT WORKSHOP AND THE ACADEMY COLLECTION
05 Wednesday

David Rattray, Instrumental Custodian to the Royal Academy of Music and master violin maker and restorer, discusses the Academy's stunning collection of string instruments, gives a practical demonstration on the construction of the violin and also talks about the care, maintenance and restoration of string instruments.

LAB OF LIFE: CHEMISTRY OF THE STRING QUARTET
05 Wednesday

Eckart Runge, International Jury member and cellist of the renowned Artemis Quartet, will converse with the Doric Quartet, and members of the audience, to illustrate some of the inner workings of a quartet, touching on issues such as democracy, leadership, conflict and discussion. The Doric Quartet will perform excerpts to illustrate Eckart's discussion points.

GREAT STRING QUARTET RECORDINGS
06 Thursday

Rob Cowan, the popular BBC Radio 3 presenter, discusses what makes a great string quartet performance, focussing on some of the Competition repertoire.

THE COUNT, THE COMPOSER AND THE STRING QUARTET
07 Friday

Mark Messenger, Head of Strings at the Royal College of Music and violinist of the Bochmann Quartet, will cast the spotlight on Beethoven's three Op. 59 quartets commissioned by Count Razumovsky. These works are all most likely to be performed the following day at the Wigmore Semi-Finals. Mark's talk will be accompanied by the up and coming Stanford Quartet from the RCM.

Free Lunchtime Concerts

To enhance the experience of all quartets who are not based in London, and to give the public another chance to hear them, there will be eight free lunchtime recitals lasting about an hour in some of London's most beautiful churches.

Masterclasses

You can listen to young aspiring quartets from all over the UK getting tips and advice from leading coaches Gabor Takacs-Nagy (violinist and founder member of the Takacs Quartet), Dr Christopher Rowland (Director of Chamber Music, Royal Northern College of Music), Ioan Davies (Director of Music, Pro Corda - The National School for Young Chamber Music Players) and Simon Rowland-Jones (violist and founder member of the Chilingirian Quartet).

Stalls and Exhibitors

Publishers, instrument makers and dealers and chamber music promoters will be exhibiting in the Royal Academy of Music 4-7 April. Come and browse and ask advice between the events.

Contact us: info@playquartet.com