Prizewinners Announced at Switzerland's Orpheus Chamber Music Competition

First Prize of 5,000 CHF went to the Spirea Quartet, all of whom are students at Basel's Hochschule für Musik

The 2022 edition of Switzerland's Orpheus Chamber Music Competition, which has been held annually for the last 49 years at the Haute École de Musique de Genève, has recently come to a close.

First Prize of 5,000 CHF went to the Spirea Quartet, which is made up of Nathan Kirzon and Laia Azcona Morsit (violins), Lucia Mullor (viola), and Blai Bosser Toca (cello). The quartet are all students at Basel's Hochschule für Musik. 

Alongside their cash prize, the quartet will receive funds to commission a new work (sponsored by the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia), as well as concert engagements at the Swiss Chamber Music Festival, the Festival Musikdorf Ernen, and the Zunftkonzerte Zürich.

Second Prize went to Trio Chagall (violinist Edoardo Grieco, cellist Francesco Massimino, and pianist Lorenzo Nguyen Ba) while Third Prize went to Trio Zeitgeist (violinist Tim Crawford, cellist Martin Egidi, and pianist Martin Jollet).

The jury comprised Reto Bieri (chair), Benjamin Englei, Anna Gebert, Raphael Camenisch, David Pia, and Daniel Schädeli.