VC LIVE | 2025 Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition

Tune in from May 19-24 to watch the full competition online

We're coming to you LIVE from Bordeaux, France, for the 11th Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition. 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).

10 String Quartets have been selected to compete in the live rounds of this year's competition, to be held in the Auditorium of the Bordeaux Opera. The quartets include:

• Animato Kwartet - The Netherlands
• Arete Quartet - South Korea
• Ast Quartet - Germany / South Korea
• Quatuor Elmire - France
• Quartet HANA - Germany
• Kleio String Quartet - United Kingdom
• Quatuor Magenta - France
• Quatuor Métamorphoses - France
• Opus13 - Norway / Sweden
• Terra String Quartet - United States

The First Grand Prize is endowed with €20,000 and a set of bows by Edwin Clement of Meilleur Ouvrier de France valued at €40,000. In addition, the winner will complete a recording project for an album produced by Mirare and distributed by Pias/Harmonia Mundi, as well as a two-year international tour.

Second Prize comes with €10,000, four quality instrument cases donated by BAM Cases valued at €3,500, an invitation to a series of masterclasses to be selected by the prizewinner, and a concert in the ProQuartet season.

Finally, Third Prize is €5,000, with an invitation for the winning quartet to join the Saint-Jean de Lux/Ciboure Ravel Academy. The special prizes include the €2,000 Contemporary Work Prize, €1,000 Young Listeners’ Prize, and the Audience Prize. Additionally, each participant in the competition will receive a voucher for the Henle Library App worth €50 each.

The 2025 jury will comprise Martin Beaver (President), Corina Belcea, Hélène Clement, Valentin Erben, Miguel da Silva, and Anne Queffélec. Members of the preselection committee will include Marie Chilemme, François Kieffer, and Vineta Sareika. The Final Round’s professional committee — which will advise the three finalist quartets — comprises Charlotte Bartissol, Robert Brufau, Paul Cabantous, Kirsten Dawes, Jakub Fiebig, Édouard Fouré Caul-Futy, Simone Gramaglia, Ulrich Hauschild, Chloë Herteleer, Yasmin Hilberdink, Emmanuel Hondré, Taku Kawai, Antoine Manceau, Jérémie Perez, Federico Rinaldi, Andre Roy, Francisco Sassetti, Alasdair Tait, Linda Uschinski, Cathy Wilkinson, and Michiel Wittink.

COMPETITION SCHEDULE:

May 19 | First Round | Day 1 | 9 AM (ET), 3 PM Local Time

• Quatuor Magenta

• Quatuor Métamorphoses

• Opus13

Break

• Terra String Quartet

• Animato Kwartet

May 20 | First Round | Day 2 | 9 AM (ET), 3 PM Local Time

• Arete Quartet

• Ast Quartet

Break

• Quatuor Elmire

• Quatuor HANA

May 22 | Semi Final Round | Day 1 | 7 AM (ET), 1 PM Local Time

May 23 | Semi Final Round | Day 2 | 9:30 AM (ET), 3:30 PM Local Time

May 24 | Final Round | 9 AM (ET), 3 PM Local Time