Founded in 2006 as a performance forum for outstanding high school chamber musicians, the Saint Paul String Quartet Competition's primary mission is to celebrate excellence in string quartet playing, foster an increased appreciation for the chamber music art form, and enhance the music culture in this country. The SPSQC has garnered a national reputation for showcasing our nations finest pre-college string players and young artists from this event now populate the most prestigious conservatories and music programs in the country. The competition is open to quartets whose members are 19 years or younger. Unidentified copies of quartets’ audition recordings are reviewed and individually ranked by a preliminary jury of three from across the country. The top scoring quartets are invited to St. Paul to perform in the Final Round event, juried by a renowned professional string quartet. Both the preliminary and final juries consist of members of reknowned quartets including the Arianna, Chiara, Daedalus, Jupiter, Maia, Miami, Miro, Rackham, Takacs and former members of the Artaria String Quartet. The SPSQC Awards include $2,600 in Gold, Silver, and Bronze prize money, and a set of beautiful handmade wooden stands from Anderson Music Stands for the winning quartet. More important, the performers take away a profound sense of accomplishment and pride in a job well done.