Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition

The competition originated as the Portsmouth International String Quartet Competition in 1979, and was the first recurrent international string quartet competition in the world, following similar lines to competitions such as the Leeds International Piano Competition and Tchaikovsky International Competition for individual instrumentalists. The fourth competition in 1988 was held in London and became the London International String Quartet Competition until 2010, when the Wigmore Hall took over the organisation.[1]

The first winners were the Takacs Quartet, followed by the Hagen Quartet in 1982 and the Alexander String Quartet in 1985.[2] These, and most other winners, have gone on to successful international performing careers. Other similar competitions have since begun, such as the Banff International String Quartet Competition and others in Osaka and Melbourne.[3]

Currently, of the string quartets from around the world who submit entries, twelve are selected to take part in the competition. All members of the quartets must be under the age of 35. After playing Haydn, Mozart, a 20th-century work and a fixed competition piece before audiences over a period of several days, six semi-finalists are selected, and each play a Beethoven quartet. Three finalists are then selected and play a quartet from a selected list from the Romantic era.[4] In some years, including 2022, the Romantic era quartet is played in the semi-final and the Beethoven in the final. [5]

Each year the winning ensemble receives a cash prize and a three-year career development programme, including a recording session and a UK performance tour. There are also cash prizes for second and third place and smaller specific prizes.