UK quartet wins at Banff

The first prize at the Banff International String Quartet Competition was shared last night between the Marmen Quartet of the UK – Johannes Marmen, Bryony Gibson-Cornish (violists), Steffan Morris (cellist) and Ricky Gore (violin) – and the Canadian/US Viano String Quartet – Lucy Wang, Hao Zhou (violins), Aiden Kane (viola) and Tate Zawadiuk (cello).

Each quartet wins C$16,500 and a two year salaried residency at Southern Methodist University in Dallas Texas, worth US$160,000.

The Marmens (pictured) also won the Haydn prize.

The second-placed Callisto Quartet (US) went home with C$12,000 cash prize and creative residency at Banff.

The Marmens had previously won at Bordeaux.

The Viano Quartet, their CV says, ‘works primarily with Martin Beaver, as well as other members of the Colburn School faculty.’ Mr Beaver was one of the Banff judges. We hear there was much conversation at the competition about this coincidence.

Mr Beaver, it appears, was able to recuse himself from judging his protégés (see Comment below).