Variations Scotland is happy to announce its first String Quartet Challenge, open to amateur musicians aged between 18 and 40 based in Scotland. Variations has been running a week- long chamber music course with the Edinburgh Quartet in residence in Ullapool each July over the past 20 years. The winners of the String Quartet Challenge will be awarded a place at Variations 2027, with all tuition and accommodation costs covered, worth over £1000 for each individual. Challenge runners up will be offered free one day workshops with the Edinburgh Quartet.

The overall purpose of the Challenge is to motivate more younger amateur string players to come together and play on a regular basis. The Challenge is not open to professional musicians or music conservatory students – it is for amateurs. However, conservatory alumni who do not consider themselves professionals can apply.

The Challenge invites interested groups to submit recordings made on a smartphone of two pieces: any movement of a Haydn string quartet and any other contrasting movement from a quartet from the romantic era or later. The four finalists will play a quartet of their own choice at a public concert in Perth on 27th February 2027, when the winner will be selected.

The videos should be sent to Gordon Adam, Chair, Variations Scotland, along with a brief biography of each quartet member, and the name and history of their quartet (details of performance etc). Newly formed groups are encouraged to participate. The deadline for submissions is December 31st 2026. If you are planning to participate, it would be helpful if you could give advance notice to Gordon – but this is not obligatory.

The video files along with supporting information will be sent to members of the Edinburgh Quartet who will be responsible for short-listing the four quartet finalists. Fair Access principles will be adhered to in the selection process. The Edinburgh Quartet will provide written feedback to each participating group. The finalists will be contacted by Zoom by a member of the Edinburgh Quartet to provide brief feedback in advance of the finalists’ concert.

 The Finalists’ public concert will take place on the afternoon of 27th February 2027 at St John’s Kirk in Perth in association with the Perth Chamber Music Society, after which there will be a feedback session with all finalist groups in the early evening. This session will be in the form of a master class and open to members of the public.

There will be two additional one-day workshops provided for the runners up and other promising participants. These will take place at the Marryat Hall in Dundee on Sundays during March and April 2027. Travel, subsistence and tuition costs will be covered by Variations Scotland. Again, these sessions will be open to the public.

The overall winning string quartet will be invited to Variations in July 2027. They will work on a string quartet of their choice for a week and will be invited to perform at the participant’s concert at the end of the course. Accommodation and tuition costs will be covered for the quartet members.

We hope this advance information will encourage interested musicians to get together and start work. Please spread the word. There will be an official launch with media coverage in late August. I’ll be in touch with updates. If there are any questions meantime, please contact:

Gordon Adam

Chair, Variations Scotland

gordon@imediaassociates.org

info@variationsscotland.co.uk

 

Key dates:

  • The deadline for String Quartet Challenge submissions is December 31st 2026.

  • The Finalists concert will take place on the afternoon of 27th February 2027 at St John’s Kirk in Perth

  • Two additional one-day workshops provided for the runners up will take place at the Marryat Hall in Dundee on Sundays during March 2027

  • Variations 2027 – July 17-24 2027 in Ullapool (dates to be confirmed)

Variations Scotland is grateful to the encouragement and financial support of Creative Scotland, the Pear Tree Fund for Music, the Hugh Fraser Foundation and the Gordon Memorial Trust, without which this initiative would not be possible.