Schulich Alumni Compete at the 2025 Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition
The Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition, held every three years, is one of the world’s most prestigious platforms for young musicians aspiring to make their mark on the global stage. Formerly the ‘International String Quartet Competition’, the first award was presented in 1979 in Portsmouth, but Wigmore Hall, London has been home to the competition since 2010.
Participants in the Wigmore Hall Competition receive feedback from internationally acclaimed artists. In the spirit of embracing the entire string quartet tradition, competitors are required to perform classical, romantic, and contemporary repertoire. Attracting ensembles from all over the world, musicians have the opportunity to network and exchange ideas with peers from across the globe.
Of the eleven ensembles invited to compete in the 2025 competition, two quartets, both established at the Schulich School of Music under the tutelage of André Roy, competed - the Myriade String Quartet: Julian Mirzoev, GradDip'21, Grad Artist Dip'22; Russell Iceberg, MMus'19, GradDip'20, Grad Artist Dip'21; Braden McConnell, MMus'20 (formed in 2021); and the Katarina String Quartet: Jeanel Liang, MMus'22, Gr. Dip'23, Post-Graduate Artist'24; Jérôme Chiasson, BMus'23, GrDip'24; Celia Morin, BMus’22, GrDip'23, Grad Artist Dip'24; Maya Enstad, MMus'23 (formed in 2022).
In addition to the honour of participating in this highly selective competition, the Katarina String Quartet was awarded two prizes for their performance: the ProQuartet and the Drimnin String Quartet prizes. The ProQuartet Prize is awarded to a finalist or semi-finalist and secures them a place at one of ProQuartet’s Masterclasses in the 2025-26 season. Additionally, the Drimnin String Quartet Prize recognises and supports emerging talent, entitling the winner to be one of three quartets participating in the annual Drimnin String Quartet Academy in 2026.
