Evolution: Quartet
Classical Music Summer 2020
The deadline for this opportunity has passed.
Evolution: Quartet explores the string quartet lineage from Haydn to new music made in Banff by and for the program’s faculty and participants.
Led by the internationally celebrated Eybler, Parker, and Jack string quartets, the Evolution: Quartet mentor group is further reinforced by an extraordinary cohort of instrumentalists, composers, and scholars.
Participants will explore the early string quartet, with sessions on intonation, harmony, and structure, as well as in-depth discussions on style and rhetoric. Quartets from the traditional canon will be studied and performed alongside works by mentor composers Marc Sabat, Natacha Diels, and Caroline Shaw. Participant composers’ works will be performed by participant string quartets, and faculty quartets will play world premieres by guest composers.
Participants and audiences alike will explore the lineage of the string quartet, both as a historical genre and as a new and invigorated practice in the early 21st century.
What does the Program Offer?
Evolution: Quartet provides a highly engaged, specialized, and integrated approach to performance, theory, and composition for string quartets. Participants will gain exposure to period performance of classical and romantic music through coaching as well as one-on-one and informal reading sessions, all within state of the art facilities in an astonishing natural environment.
Participants will present public and in-house performances. The residency will produce nearly a concert per day for three weeks — from publicized, ticketed events to participant-driven throw-downs and octet, as well as other chamber music reading sessions with participants and faculty side by side.
Participants will also convene in a daily meeting for high-level presentations by select faculty. Previous topics have included intonation, quartet dynamics, affect and rhetoric, advanced rhythm, performing editions, structural analysis, introduction to the neo-Riemannian theory, and in-depth exploration of faculty composers’ work and process. Performance and composition faculty will also offer coaching and private lessons.
Evolution: Quartet is designed for pre-formed string quartets; however there are opportunities for individuals. Individuals who apply will be placed in different quartets throughout the program. These newly-formed quartets will explore repertoire chosen by themselves and in consultation with faculty.
Composers will receive instruction and mentorship from the program’s internationally distinguished composition faculty and will have their pieces performed by participants.
Who Should Apply?
Established string quartets, violinists, violists, cellists, and composers are encouraged to apply. The successful applicants will be post-secondary students or emerging artists, already at an advanced level of accomplishment and with a well-documented record of musical exploration. Artists from historically underrepresented groups are especially welcomed.
Application Deadline: January 8, 2020
Dates: July 6 – July 25, 2020
*Financial Aid up to 100% is available to cover tuition (meal plans and accommodations are not eligible).
For more information and to apply online, please visit banffcentre.ca.
