String quartet winners announced for 2026 ARD International Music Competition

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The final round of the 75th ARD International Music Competition’s string quartet division took place on 12 September at the Prinzregententheater in Munich, Germany. All finalists were required to perform quartets by Beethoven and Bartók.

The first prize was ultimately awarded to the Viatores Quartet, which received €30,000, a concert tour organised by Impresariat Simmenauer GmbH, a concert engagement at the Tölz Winners’ Summit festival and bespoke concert attire from Massatelier Marillon. The quartet also won the €2,000 audience award and the €1,000 special award for the best performance of the commissioned work by Camille Pépin.

No second prize was awarded. The third prize was jointly awarded to the Fugue Quartet and the Katarina Quartet, each receiving €18,000. The €8,000 special prize for an outstanding performance by a quartet that did not progress to the final round was given to the Isla Quartet.

The prizewinners also received GEWA instrument cases, while G. Henle Verlag awarded a prize pool of €6,000 for the Henle-Urtextprize.

The Berlin-based Viatores Quartet was established in 2023 and comprises British violinist Louisa Staples, 26, German violinist Johannes Brzoska, 26, Portuguese violist Miguel Erlich, 30, and Turkish cellist Umut Sağlam, 28. The ensemble has studied at Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin, the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt with Tabea Zimmermann, and is currently studying with Oliver Wille at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt. Among its accolades, the quartet has won the first prize at the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy University Competition in 2024, second prize at the Irene Steels-Wilsing String Quartet Competition in 2025 and special prizes at the Wigmore Hall and Banff international string quartet competitions.

The jury for this year’s string division was chaired by Vineta Sareika and comprised Pierre Colombet, Veronika Hagen, François Kieffer, Asbjørn Nørgaard, Arnau Tomàs Realp and Pawel Zalejski.

The competition celebrated the results on social media:

‘Congratulations to our outstanding prizewinners in the String Quartet category! What an unforgettable final. We are proud to celebrate these remarkable ensembles and their achievements at the 75th ARD International Music Competition.

‘Thank you to all finalists for filling our concert halls and our hearts with extraordinary music, artistry and passion. Your performances inspired audiences both in the hall and around the world.’