The project :
The Reggio Emilia International String Quartet Competition – Premio Paolo Borciani – in Italy and the Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition both share a desire to highlight and support the younger generation of string quartet players. It was with this in mind that the European project was born: to pool a maximum of resources and share a toolbox to enhance their employability and mobility.
The two competitions in the bordering countries follow the same pattern, one year apart. Over a three-year cycle, one year is devoted to the competition and the other two to festivals and masterclasses. As part of the European project, two quartets were selected by Festival Vibre and Casa del Quartetto: the Elmore Quartet and el Quartetto Goldberg.
This exchange enabled them to follow a two-stage masterclass program, creating continuity in their training while raising their profile and visibility. This mobility also enabled them to witness the actions being taken on a European scale to respond to certain societal challenges, such as the need for:
- Broaden the audience to include younger people,
- Facilitate access to culture for audiences isolated from performance venues, particularly in rural areas, and
- Establish common European values and civic commitment among younger generations.
By working together on this European project, Quatuors à bordeaux and Fondazione I Teatri have been able to pool their know-how and enhance the skills of their respective teams.
The guide :
The project, co-financed by the European Union, takes the form of a guide for young quartets. Workshops and databases are shared and made available to all.
The guide was originally designed to help young quartets break out of their isolation after the Covid-19 period, and to accompany them through this pivotal period in their careers. Its aim is to provide keys to professionalization, not to transcribe the content of masterclass weeks or give exhaustive lists.
