​WINNERS ALL!

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SAINT PAUL, MN — April 13, 2026

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Four exceptional, highly trained, and artistically gifted pre-professional string quartets gathered in Saint Paul on Saturday April 11 at the acoustically renowned Sundin Music Hall for two rounds of compelling performances. Representing four of the nation’s most prestigious music schools, these ensembles demonstrated the remarkable depth of emerging talent in the United States, as well as the strength of chamber music training and the dedication of a new generation of thoughtful, expressive young artists.

 

The opening Composer Spotlight Round featured Pisachi, an evocative string quartet work by American composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate, a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma. The quartet’s seamless blend of rhythmic vitality and lyrical melodies provided each ensemble with a rich platform for interpretation and artistic expression. The Karuna Quartet of The Juilliard School delivered a standout, prizewinning performance, while the Velaris String Quartet of Stony Brook University earned high marks and a well-deserved honorable mention from the jury.

 

The Recital Round—requiring each ensemble to present a curated 30-minute program from their submitted repertoire—showcased a series of masterful and nuanced performances.  First Prize was awarded to the Karuna Quartet for their pristine interpretations of Haydn’s complete Quartet in CM Op. 33, No.3 and mvt.3 from Bartók String Quartet No.1.  Second Prize was jointly awarded to the Prometheus Quartet of the University of Delaware, performing mvts1 & 4 from Beethoven’s Op.18, No.6 and the complete Bartók String Quartet No. 3, and the Soha Quartet of the University of Texas at Austin, performing Beethoven’s Op. 18, No. 1 and Ginastera’s String Quartet No. 2. 

 

Emcee Steve Staruch of Minnesota Public Radio invited both in-person and online audiences to participate by voting for their favorite ensemble, recognizing the performances that resonated most deeply. The Soha Quartet of Austin, Texas, earned the Audience Choice Award with strong support among the total 1,174 votes.

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The competition continues next Saturday, April 18, when six high school quartets will take the stage at Sundin Music Hall beginning at 11:00 a.m. Admission remains free, offering audiences the opportunity to experience performances of extraordinary quality—music that is, truly, priceless.

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