An award that sets new standards
Quartets cannot apply for this award. Instead, they are “observed” over an extended period during concerts, without their knowledge, by a jury. The jury determines the winning quartet. Consequently, there are no losers.
MERITO String Quartet AWARD
The Merito String Quartet Award was first presented in 2018 with the goal of helping qualified string quartets take a leap forward in their career. Wolfgang Habermayer, founder of the Merito String Instruments Trust GmbH, and Valentin Erben, founding member of the Alban Berg Quartet, initiated the award. It is intended to benefit young, highly qualified string quartets that are fully dedicated to quartet playing, under 35 years old, with an established concert activity in Europe, but who have not yet made the decisive career breakthrough. The winning quartet is provided with professional guidance and support over four years to help it succeed on the international stage.
A nomination committee, consisting of prominent musicians, educators, organizers, and concert agents, selects the most qualified string quartets. The five most frequently nominated quartets are anonymously “observed” for one year by a dedicated five-member jury. The evaluation considers professionalism, repertoire, program design, artistic quality, the musicians' creativity and innovation, and their artistic journey so far. An important partner of the initiative is the Wiener Konzerthaus (Vienna Concert Hall Society). Another key contributor was the Impresariat Simmenauer (Berlin).
The Merito String Quartet Award is presented every four years at the Wiener Konzerthaus and has since gained international recognition beyond Vienna, the city of music.
The award includes prize money, which must be used exclusively for artistic development, and the commissioning of a new composition.
Prizewinners 2022: Leonkoro Quartett
Founded in Berlin in 2019, the Leonkoro Quartett is considered one of the most promising ensembles in today’s music scene.
The numerous awards they collected in 2022 speak for themselves: First Prize and 9 out of 12 special prizes at the International String Quartet Competition of Wigmore Hall London, First Prize and the Audience Prize at Quatuor à Bordeaux, and selection for the BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists program.
In March 2024, the Leonkoro Quartet received the Young Talent Award from the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and the Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award.
The ensemble has studied with renowned musicians such as Heime Müller, Günter Pichler, Alfred Brendel, Rainer Schmidt, Oliver Wille, and Luc-Marie Aguera.
Their debut album featuring Ravel’s String Quartet and Schumann’s Third Quartet was released in autumn 2023 on the Mirare label.
The ensemble is a Pirastro Artist and Henle App Ambassador.
More about Leonkoro Quartett
MERITO String Quartet Award 2022
Prizewinners 2018: Castalian String Quartet
Founded in 2011, the Castalian String Quartet studied with Oliver Wille at the Hochschule für Musik in Hannover before being selected by the Young Classical Artists Trust (YCAT) in 2016.
They were awarded First Prize at the 2015 Lyon International Chamber Music Competition and in 2018 were recipients of the inaugural Merito String Quartet Award and Valentin Erben Prize, and a prestigious Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship. In 2019, the ensemble was named Young Artist of the Year at the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards.
Recent debuts include performances at Carnegie Hall in New York, the Berlin Philharmonie, the Vienna Konzerthaus, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, the Philharmonie de Paris and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.
The Castalian String Quartet regularly performs at Wigmore Hall in their hometown of London. They are also frequent participants at festivals such as Spoleto USA, Aldeburgh, North Norfolk, Cheltenham, East Neuk, Lockenhaus, and Heidelberger Frühling.
Their 2022 album Between Two Worlds (Delphian Records), featuring music by Orlando di Lasso, Thomas Adès, Ludwig van Beethoven, and John Dowland, received a double five-star rating as Album of the Month from BBC Music Magazine.
More about Castalian String Quartet
MERITO String Quartet Award 2018
