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The final round of Musica Viva’s Strike A Chord national chamber music competition took place on 30 August at the Melbourne Recital Centre in Melbourne, Australia, with twelve school-aged ensembles competing.
The first prize of AUD5,000 was awarded to the IncrediBows quartet from Queensland, the second prize of AUD4,000 to the Kingussie Trio from Victoria, and the third prize of AUD2,500 to the ATC Trio from Queensland.
The IncrediBows comprises childhood friends Ein Na, Eric Kim, George Li and Haydn Li. Formed in 2022 and coached by Tim Li, the quartet competed in the Strike A Chord finals that same year, and won second prize in the 2024 Strike A Chord competition as part of the larger Take Six ensemble. Together, the quartet members pool their experience as soloists, orchestral leaders, scholarship recipients, and competition prizewinners.
The Hale Bravura Quartet from Western Australia received the AUD1,500 Encouragement Award, and the Roystead Trio from Victoria the AUD2,000 Australian Music Prize. Quatuor Fabriqués from Victoria won both the Monash Chamber Music Prize and the Flinders Quartet Mentorship Prize; the LED Trio from Victoria was awarded both the Firebird Trio Mentorship Prize and the 3MBS Prize, while the 4MBS Prize went to Quartet Alla Zingarese from Queensland.
In the first round, the AUSTA string prize was awarded to the Alpha Quartet, Wattleseed Quartet, Pembroke Middle School Quartet, Marryatville High School Baroque Ensemble, and WolfGang.
String players featured prominently among the prizewinners in the numerous categories, including the Wollongong Conservatorium Junior Quartet receiving the 2025 Foundation first prize, while the Horizon Quartet and the Cathedral School Trio received the AMEB Merging Ensemble Encouragement Award.
The jury of this year’s final round comprised Trish Dean, Anna McMichael, Lloyd Van’t Hoff, and Timothy Young, with Wilma Smith as chair of the jury. The jury of the first round included Ashley William Smith, Caleb Wright, Doretta Balkizas, Edith Salzmann, Rachel Johnston, Roman Ponomariov, Sonya Lifschitz, and Tim Munro, with Katie Yap and Matthew Kneale as the jury for the Foundation prizes.
‘The Strike A Chord final never fails to bowl me over,’ said Smith. ‘Of course, we know now to expect performances of extremely high quality but each finalist group this year shared with us such compelling musicianship that I am once again moved and flabbergasted by their diligence, passion and conviction.
’Congratulations to all the groups and heartfelt thanks to the villages that enable each of these young musicians to flourish.’