The Dover Quartet, whose members come from across the USA, but who got together at the Curtis Institute, spoke with broadcaster Eric Friesen earlier in the week. He asked them what made the Banff International String Quartet Competition different from other competitions. Cellist Camden Shaw gave this answer:
I think many competitions are so stressful that no group sounds their best there, but I find the opposite here. I feel that everyone really has a chance to do their best because there’s time to eat well, and rehearse well, and sleep a lot, so it’s more like a residency than a competition.
Listen to more of the conversation here: