2 Canadian finalists in Banff strings competition

The Afiara String Quartet, an all-Canadian group based in New York, and the Cecilia String Quartet of Montreal are among 10 finalists who will face off at an international music competition in Banff this summer.

The finalists for the Banff International String Quartet Competition, which takes place Aug. 30 to Sept. 5, were announced Thursday.

The Afiara String Quartet is the graduate resident string quartet at the Julliard School in New York and previously won the Concert Artists Guild International Competition in New York.

The all-female Cecilia String Quartet is based at the Schulich School of Music at McGill University and is quartet in residence of Jeunesses Musicales du Canada.

The other contenders are:

• Amaryllis Quartet (Germany/Switzerland).
• Asasello Quartet (Germany).
• Atrium String Quartet (Russia).
• Gémeaux Quartet (Switzerland).
• Hausmann Quartet (U.S.).
• Noga Quartet (France).
• Peresson Quartet (U.S.).
• Quatuor Zaïde (France).

During the competition for emerging musicians, finalists will be required to perform classical, Romantic and 20th-century works in front of a live audience. They must also tackle a new work co-commissioned by the Banff Centre and the CBC.

First prize includes $25,000; a quartet of bows made by Canadian bow-maker François Malo; North American and European concert tours; and a residency at the Banff Centre that includes the recording of a compact disc.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/arts/music/story/2010/04/22/string-quarter-competition.html#ixzz0mDlWLZU6