Opus13 String Quartet Wins Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition

The Swedish-Norwegian string quartet won €20,000, a recording project, and performance opportunities, among other prizes

Open to string quartets of every nationality, the Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition came to a close today in Bordeaux, France. The entire competition is now available to watch on The Violin Channel.

The First Grand Prize went to the Opus13 String Quartet. They will receive €20,000, a set of bows by Edwin Clement, Meilleur Ouvrier de France (valued at €40,000), a recording project for an album produced by Mirare and distributed by Pias/Harmonia Mundi, and an upcoming concert tour.

The Terra String Quartet received Second Prize, consisting of €10,000, four instrument cases donated by BAM Cases. They also received the ProQuartet Prize, which came with an invitation to a series of masterclasses to be chosen by the prizewinner (including teaching, accommodation, and transport costs), and a concert in the ProQuartet season.

Third Prize went to the Arete Quartet, who will receive €5,000 and an invitation for the quartet to the Saint-Jean de Lux/Ciboure Ravel Academy (including teaching and accommodation costs).

The additional prizes were as follows:

• Contemporary Work Prize, €2,000: Opus13 String Quartet
• Young Listeners' Prize (not awarded by the jury), €1,000: Opus13 String Quartet
• Audience Prize (awarded by the audience at the final): Opus13 String Quartet

Created in 1999, the Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition is organized every three years by the Quatuors à Bordeaux association, which also organizes the "Vibre!" festival. Since 2021, it has been co-directed by the Quatuor Modigliani (artistic director) and Julien Kieffer (director).

The 2025 winners of the Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition, Swedish-Norwegian string quartet Opus13 comprises Norwegian violinists Sonoko Miriam Welde and Edvard Erdal, violist Albin Uusijärvi, and cellist Daniel Thorell, both from Sweden. They first garnered international attention when they were awarded Second Prize at the Banff International String Quartet Competition in 2022, and the following year, they received Norway’s prestigious Equinor Classical Music Award.

Founders and artistic directors of Vinterspill på Lillehammer, an annual chamber music festival in Norway’s Olympic town of Lillehammer, they receive guidance and coaching from Bjørg Lewis and Berit Cardas of the Vertavo Quartet, as well as from Tim Frederiksen.

They have performed at concert series and festivals such as the International Chamber Music Festival Utrecht in the Netherlands, Chamber Music Northwest in Oregon, East Neuk Festival in Scotland, Yeulmaru and Yonsei Chamber Music Festivals in South Korea, Rusk Festival in Finland, and most of the major chamber music festivals in Norway, including the Bergen International Festival, and the Stavanger, Rosendal, Trondheim, and Risør Chamber Music Festivals.