The Brahms Society of Schleswig-Holstein is pleased to announce the awarding of the 2026 Brahms Prize, endowed with €10,000, to the Mandelring Quartet. Founded in 1983 by three very young siblings, the Schmidts, and a friend, the string quartet launched an international career after initial major competition successes, a career that continues unabated to this day. Tours on both sides of the Atlantic, from New York and Buenos Aires to Manila and Beijing, characterize their artistic life. Their Hambach Music Festival, founded in 1997, and the concert series at the Berlin Philharmonie, launched in 2010, are further testaments to their outstanding position in the music world.

A particular focus throughout their work is Brahms’ chamber music for strings, which the Mandelrings have performed in numerous cycles and recorded to great acclaim on CDs. The great Sir Yehudi Menuhin once described the string quartet as “perhaps Europe’s most important contribution to culture.” With the 2026 Brahms Prize, the Brahms Society pays tribute to one of the world’s most esteemed string quartet ensembles, which serves as an exemplary champion of this significant art form.

The Brahms Prize, endowed with €10,000, will be awarded on September 26, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. in St. Bartholomew’s Church in Wesselburen. It was in this church that Johannes Brahms’s father received his musical training. The Mandelring Quartet will perform a concert as part of the Brahms Prize ceremony.

Founded in 1987, the Brahms Society of Schleswig-Holstein has awarded the Brahms Prize annually since 1988 to outstanding individuals and performers of classical music. Past recipients include renowned artists such as Leonard Bernstein, Sir Yehudi Menuhin, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Sabine Meyer, Christoph Eschenbach, Herbert Blomstedt, Midori Nagano, and Kent Nagano. Brahms Prize Award Ceremony 2026 to the Mandelring Quartet Saturday, September 26, 2026, 7:00 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. St. Bartholomew’s Church, Wesselburen

One of the past award ceremonies: