No first prize awarded at Szymanowski string quartet competition

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The final of string quartet division of the Karol Szymanowski International Music Competition was held on 21 September 2023 at Sala Kameralna, Katowice, Poland.

No first prize was awarded. Instead, the Turicum Quartet won second prize of €26,000, while the Neuma Quartet took third prize of €14,000, as well as the special prize for best interpretation of a Szymanowski string quartet, worth €8,000.

The Quiron Quartet and Monbijou Quartet won special awards for best interpretation of a contemporary piece in the composition competition, worth €2,000.

The jury was chaired by Peter Schuhmayer and comprised Arkadiusz Kubica, Kyril Zlotnikov, Izabella Szałaj-Zimak, Guy Danel, Jonathan Brown and Piotr Reichert.

The laureates will perform at a concert on Saturday 23 September.

The competition takes place every five years in four performing disciplines: piano, violin, string quartet and voice. The fifth category is the composing competition, taking place a year ahead of the performing competition.

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