Competition
The 15th annual Saint Paul String Quartet Competition (SPSQC) will take place on Saturday April 25, 2020 on YouTube Live. The SPSQC attracts the best young string quartets in the country. We welcome your ensemble's entry and wish you great success at the event.
Prizes Awarded
Quartets selected for the Final Round will compete for cash prizes, medals, certificates, and awards. They will be adjudicated by the renowned CATALYST QUARTET.
Gold Medal -- $1,000 cash prize
Silver Medal -- $800 cash prize
Bronze Medal -- $600 cash prize
Haydn Prize -- $400 for Best performance of Haydn quartet movement
Audience Prize -- Group selected by audience receives $200
Rules and Application Process
To enter the Saint Paul String Quartet Competition, review the competition Rules & Regulations.
Previous Repertoire
You may find it helpful to review Final Round Repertoire of all competition ensembles.
Musical Program
Preliminary Round: Three video recorded movements are to be submitted by Monday, March 02, 2020. A preliminary jury of three prominent chamber musicians from across the U.S. will view separately the uploaded video recordings submitted by candidates for the SPSQC. Using a uniform marking system to rank the ensembles, a minimum of six quartets receiving the highest aggregate scores will be invited to the Haydn and Final Rounds.
Haydn Round: Quartets invited to the SPSQC will have an opportunity to perform a Haydn quartet movement in the Haydn Round event. The best performance will be announced at the Final Round and a Haydn Prize will be awarded. Previous winners of this round may compete in the event but will not be eligible to win another Haydn Prize. They will be required, however, to submit a Haydn video for the competition.
Final Round: Quartets invited to the Final Round of the SPSQC will be required to perform two movements from their submitted repertory. Ensembles will be asked to choose order of play prior to event date. Each ensemble must be able to provide published scores (no photocopies) for the jury.
After the Final Round, there will be a Prize-awarding Ceremony on stage directed by the Master of Ceremonies. All prizewinners must be at this ceremony to receive their award/s.
The works chosen by the ensembles and stated on the application form will only be considered "approved and accepted" after confirmation by the SPSQC Administrator. Any works deemed inappropriate or not meeting the stated criterion for entering the SPSQC will be excluded from the competition and the quartet will be notified immediately.
Contact the Administrator immediately if you have any questions about repertoire or video requirements.