Banff International String Quartet Competition

APPLICATIONS FOR BISQC 2025 WILL OPEN October 1, 2024
Information on BISQC can be found at www.bisqc.ca 

15th Banff International String Quartet Competition
August 25 - 31, 2025

The Banff International String Quartet Competition is recognized as one of the premier chamber music competitions in the world. Established in 1983, BISQC is a large celebration of chamber music in a festival format attracting enthusiastic capacity audiences. The unparalleled exposure to concert presenters, managers and broadcasters from North America and abroad makes BISQC a career launching pad for all invited ensembles. Recent winners include the Isidore, Marmen, Viano, Rolston, Dover, Cecilia, TinAlley, Jupiter, Daedalus and Miró quartets.

Up to 10 quartets will be invited to participate in the competition and will be provided transportation from their home to Banff, as well as room and board for the duration of BISQC.

In addition to generous cash prizes, the laureate quartets are offered residency opportunities at Banff Centre and, for the first prize laureates, a custom-designed three-year artistic and career development program which may includes the Southern Methodist University Peak Fellowship Ensemble-in-Residence Prize, a two-year paid residency worth $200,000 CAD, an Esterházy Foundation Residency with concerts at Haydn Hall in Eisenstadt and the Lucerne Festival, as well as an opportunity for a two-week Chamber Music in Residency at the prestigious Britten Pears Arts in England.

In recognition of the extraordinary level of artistry that BISQC attracts, a career development program started in 2016 guarantees financial support to all invited quartets. For the 14th BISQC, each of the quartets not advancing to the finals received a Christine and David Anderson Prize of $5,000 CAD. 

Applying for BISQC is a 2-step process:
     1.  Apply and pay $225 CAD fee through Banff Centre's online portal
     2.  Complete Acceptd application to submit support material.

Applications closed March 1, 2025, 23:59 -07:00 GMT (11:59 PM MST).

Rules, Regulations, and Repertoire details for the 2025 competition will be uploaded to the BISQC website in the coming weeks, in the meantime the 2022 details can be found here.

The Banff International String Quartet Competition is a program of Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

Find out more at bisqc.ca