The IncrediBows Win Strike A Chord 2025
Musica Viva Australia has announced The IncrediBows as the winner of Strike A Chord 2025. The ensemble has been awarded the Robert Salzer First Prize, of $5,000.
The IncrediBows are a string quartet formed in 2022 by four childhood friends, united by enthusiasm and camaraderie. Coached by Tim Li, they were finalists in Strike A Chord that same year, later becoming the core of Take Six, which won 2nd Prize in Strike A Chord 2024. Individually, the members of the quartet bring extensive experience as soloists, scholarship recipients, orchestral leaders, and competition prize winners. Collectively, they strive to deepen their ensemble playing and expand their musical horizons.
The second prize of $4,000), The Paul Morawetz Prize was awarded to Kingussie Trio from VIC and the third prize of $2500 awarded by the Youth Music Foundation of Australia went to ATC Trio from QLD.
Other significant prizes awarded at the National Final were the Craig Reynolds Encouragement Prize ($1,500) to Hale Bravura String Quartet from WA, the Monash Chamber Music Prize to Quatuor Fabriqués from VIC, the Australian Music Prize ($2,000) to the Roystead Trio VIC, the Flinders Quartet Mentorship Prize to Quatuor Fabriqués VIC, the Firebird Trio Mentorship Prize LED Trio from VIC, the 3MBS Prize to LED Trio VIC and the 4MBS Prize to Quartet Alla Zingarese from QLD.
Strike A Chord is Australia’s national competition for school aged chamber groups. Established in 2020, it aims to foster a love of chamber music amongst young people and provide an opportunity for students to develop their performance skills and discover the joy of making music with friends.
The National Final featured outstanding performances from ensembles across the country, judged by a distinguished panel led by Wilma Smith, Musica Viva Australia’s Artistic Director of Competitions and Second Violinist, Flinders Quartet; guest concertmaster of orchestras throughout Australia and New Zealand, Trish Dean CEO/co-Artistic Director of Ensemble Q, distinguished cello soloist, chamber musician and and educator, Anna McMichael: Monash University’s Head of Strings, violinist, festival director, and artistic researcher with an extensive international performance career, Lloyd Van’t Hoff, award-winning clarinettist, director, and educator, founding member of Arcadia Winds, the inaugural MVA FutureMakers, leader of AFCM Pathways and Head of Woodwind and Head of Woodwind at Elder Conservatorium and
Timothy Young, Head of Piano at ANAM and a founding member of Ensemble Liaison.
