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Aristo Sham, of Hong Kong, China, 29, during the awards ceremony of the 17th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition at Bass Hall in Fort Worth, Texas USA. Photo: Brandon Wade

Cliburn: The Magnificent Craft of Aristo Sham

By Viktor Lazarov on 4 September 2025 Music Competition, Piano, Romantic

A short man with colourful socks, immaculately tailored suits, charcoal-black hair, and a gracious stage manner, Aristo Sham lifted the winner’s trophy at the 17th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition this past June in Fort Worth, Texas. Amidst hordes of talent from 16 countries, Sham distinguished himself with style and unwavering confidence, demonstrating impeccable pianistic craft and a reliable performance standard across six gruelling competition rounds. Born in Hong Kong in 1996, Sham’s early life seems to have followed a flawlessly successful narrative: a slew of competition wins, performances for royalty and presidents, media attention, and an appearance in a…

2022 Honens Prize Laureate Illia Ovcharenko with Jon Kimura Parker. Photo: Monique de St. Croix

Honens 2025: Jon Kimura Parker at the helm

By Bill Rankin on 4 September 2025 Music Competition, Piano, Romantic

Esther Honens, after whom the triennial Calgary international piano competition is named, wanted to leave a legacy that reflected her civic pride and her love of piano. In the fall of 1992, thanks to her $5 million endowment, the inaugural Honens International Piano Competition was held at Calgary’s Jack Singer Concert Hall, where the competition’s ailing benefactor sat in a specially-built private booth to see her vision fulfilled. Honens died five days after the first Honens finale, at age 89. Her legacy continues this October when 10 young pianists compete in the 11th Honens for substantial cash prizes and a…

Poiesis Quartet at the Banff International String Quartet Competition (2025). Photo: Rita Taylor/Courtesy of Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity

Report | BISQC Makes Strong Statement With Poiesis

By Bill Rankin on 2 September 2025 Classical Music, Music Competition, Strings, West

The fifteen Banff International String Quartet Competition (BISQC) jury made what many would say was a bold decision to award first prize to an American quartet that eschews the trappings of a traditional string quartet and champions both new music and their own LGBTQ identities, unreservedly. The Poiesis Quartet, formed at Oberlin College four years ago, are BISQC’s new ambassadors, and they will enjoy career-changing support for the next three years, including professional management in North America and Europe, several significant residencies in the U.S. and abroad, a recording, and guaranteed appearances at dozens of concert venues. They also won…

Arete Quartet at the Banff International String Quartet Competition (2025). Photo: Rita Taylor/Courtesy of Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity

Report | Banff International String Quartet Competition Finale Launch

By Bill Rankin on 1 September 2025 Classical Music, Music Competition, Strings, West

At 1 a.m. MDT Sunday Aug. 31, the Banff International String Quartet announced via email that the seven-person jury had selected three quartets to go on to the finals on Sunday afternoon. This was notwithstanding the use of a mathematical system to tabulate the cumulative scores from the judges’ assessments of the nine quartets in the initial four rounds. The system was meant to streamline the decision-making process and ideally, minimize heated discussions over who to advance. It still took more than two hours from the time the Cong Quartet finished playing Janáček’s String Quartet No. 1 in the fourth,…

Poiesis Quarte, Photo by Rita Taylor, courtesy of Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity

Newswire | American Poiesis Quartet Wins 2025 Banff International String Quartet Competition (BISQC)

By Newswire on 31 August 2025 Music Competition, Newswire, Strings, West

BANFF, AB, CANADA, AUGUST 31, 2025 – Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Banff, Alberta, Canada and is thrilled to announce the Poiesis Quartet from Cincinnati, USA was awarded the grand prize of the 15th triennial Banff International String Quartet Competition (BISQC): Sarah Ying Ma (she/they) on violin, Max Ball (he/they) on violin, Jasper de Boor (they/them) on viola, and Drew Dansby (he/him) on cello. Widely recognized as one of the most prestigious global platforms for emerging quartets, BISQC offers one of the largest prizes in chamber music—valued at over $500,000 CAD—with the potential to shape a quartet’s artistic…

Quartet HANA at Banff International String Quartet Competition. Photo: Rita Taylor, Courtesy of Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity

Review | New Kati Agócs commission at Banff International String Quartet Competition (BISQC)

By Bill Rankin on 30 August 2025 Chamber Music, Classical Music, Concert Reviews, La Scena Online, Music Competition, Strings, West

The nine quartets competing for more than $500,000 worth of cash and career development support at the 15th Banff International String Quartet Competition were all asked on Friday morning (Aug. 29) to perform Kati Agócs’ new nine-minute string quartet, Rapprochement, her third piece in the genre. All nine had had an opportunity to discuss their interpretations of the new work during the competition week with the composer. They received her score in May. Agócs writes in her performance notes for the score: “Slurs, dynamic shaping, and articulative markings are suggested only. They are meant as a starting point and can…

Cong Quartet at the Banff International String Quartet Competition (2025). Photo: Rita Taylor/Courtesy of Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity

Review | Banff International String Quartet Competition (BISQC) Goes Romantic

By Bill Rankin on 29 August 2025 Classical Music, Concert Reviews, Music Competition, Strings, West

The Romantic round of the 15th Banff International String Quartet Competition finished Thursday morning (Aug. 28) and figuring which three groups will make it to Sunday’s final has gotten harder to predict. It’s rarely easy. There were a couple of standout performances of a Haydn quartet in the first round. Quartet KAIRI and Quatuor Elmire, I thought put themselves in contention for the $4,000 Haydn prize, at least, and didn’t hurt their chances of playing for the three big prizes. Both also gave distinguished performances of their chosen Mendelssohn quartets for round two: Quartet No. 2, Op 13 in KAIRI’s…

Louisa Staples & Johannes Brzoska of Viatores Quartet at the Banff International String Quartet Competition (2025). Photo: Rita Taylor/Courtesy of Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity

Review | Banff International String Quartet Competition opens with Haydn & the 21st-century

By Bill Rankin on 28 August 2025 Classical Music, Concert Reviews, Music Competition, Strings

The 15th triennial Banff International String Quartet Competition (BISQC) began on Aug. 25 at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in the Canadian Rockies, west of Calgary. Nine string quartets (a tenth, Montreal-based group withdrew after being invited) are competing for cash prizes as well as a three-year career development program valued at a half a million dollars. Each quartet plays four rounds of various repertoire, some prescribed and some they curate, for a jury of seven distinguished string players, including Toronto Symphony concertmaster and founding member of the New Orford String Quartet, Jonathan Crow. Three quartets will be…

Six Canadians Selected for Opera Competition with $21,000 Purse

By Newswire on 6 August 2025 Classical Music, Music Competition, Newswire, Opera, Ottawa, Vocal

Ottawa, ON: The National Capital Opera Society announced the 2025 finalists of the National Capital Opera Competition. A jury of John Avey, Cara Gilbertson and Sandra Graham selected the finalists: Jamal Al Titi, Nicholas Burns, Hannah Crawford, Kcenia Koutorjevski, Rachael McAuley and Karoline Podolak. The Competition will be an Opera Gala featuring these future Canadian stars. All six finalists have impressive credentials, ranging from singing at the Canadian Opera Company, Opera de Montreal and Edmonton Opera, as well as, winning prestigious awards. This celebration of Canadian singing talent will take place on October 18th at 2 PM at the Rideau…

Julien Proulx Becomes the New Artistic Director of the Orchestre de la Francophonie

By Newswire on 5 August 2025 Classical Music, Music Competition, Newswire, Orchestral

Montreal, August 5, 2025 — On Sunday afternoon, during the grand final concert at Maison Symphonique, the Orchestre de la francophonie (OF) announced the nomination of Julien Proulx as its new Artistic Director and winner of its conductor competition. This concert marked the conclusion of a series of three performances held as part of the competition. Jean-Philippe Tremblay led the OF for one last time as its official Artistic Director. In recognition of his exceptional commitment, a scholarship was created in his name. In a symbolic gesture, Tremblay passed the baton to Julien Proulx, who had the honour of conducting the opening piece of this final concert, Jacques Hétu’s…

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