Musica Viva Australia (MVA) has today announced the finalists for its 2026 Strike A Chord competition.

This year’s Championship finalists are the ATC Trio (QLD), The Celeste Quartet (SA), CHROMOS Trio (WA), ELIJA Quartet, JPMS Ensemble Sonore (QLD), Kingsland Piano Trio (ACT), Kingussie Trio (VIC), LED Trio (VIC), Nightingale Trio (VIC), Quartet Avenoir (TAS/QLD/NSW/VIC), Quatuor Fabriqués (VIC) and Vanta Quartet (NSW).

The 2026 Strike A Chord Competition. Photo © James Grant

“The quality of the Strike A Chord entries never fails to bowl me over,” said MVA’s Artistic Director of Competitions Wilma Smith. “Congratulations to all the groups and heartfelt thanks to the villages that enable each of these young musicians to flourish.”

This year saw applications from 170 ensembles, and features the competition’s first Tasmanian-based finalist – violinist Samuel Hooper from Quartet Avenoir.

the ATC Trio, Kingussie Trio and LED Trio are all returning entries, following prize-winning performances in previous rounds of the competition.

MVA has also announced the prize winners in the Foundation Section for early-stage ensembles. First prize has been awarded to the Mansfield-based Banksia Quartet, second prize to the Brisbane Boys’ College Clarinet Ensemble and third prize to Canberra’s Kingsland Strings Epic Trio.

Launched in 2020, Strike A Chord competition faced an uncertain future when MVA failed to secure its ongoing funding from Creative Victoria for 2026. In January, the organisation announced a donation of $300,000 from the Hansen Little Foundation that ensured the continuation of the program into 2026.

With a prize pool valued at $50,000 to be meted out, the National Finals for Strike A Chord will be held at the Melbourne Recital Centre on 29 August.

More about Musica Viva Australia’s Strike A Chord can be found here.