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The Poiesis and Takács string quartets have been recognised for their achievements in the annual awards, as well as Imani Winds
Chamber Music America (CMA) has announced the recipients of its highest awards for 2026. The honours recognise ensembles that have made an impact on the field through leadership, creativity and artistic excellence, as well as rising talent and significant promise.
The Takács Quartet will receive the Richard J. Bogomolny National Service Award, in recognition for its career representing historic service on a national level. The quartet celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2025 and has worked as artists in residence at the University of Colorado, Boulder, since 1986.
Recent winners of the Banff International String Quartet Competition, the Poiesis Quartet will receive the Cleveland Quartet Award. The honour is bestowed upon a rising string quartet.
As part of the Cleveland Quartet Award, the Poiesis Quartet will be presented by a consortium of eight presenters: the Buffalo Chamber Music Society; Carnegie Hall; Chamber Music Society of Detroit; Freer and Sackler Galleries of Art at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC; Friends of Chamber Music in Kansas City, MO; Market Square Concerts in Harrisburg, PA; Krannert Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and Texas Performing Arts.
The Imani Winds will received the Michael Jaffee Visionary Award, which recognises artistry and commitment to advancing the boundaries of chamber music through innovation, exploration and experimentation.
The three ensembles will receive their awards at a presentation during CMA’s National Conference in Chicago, IL, from 20-23 August 2026.
CEO of CMA, Kevin Kwan Loucks, said: ’It is the rich histories and decades of mentorship of ensembles like the Takács Quartet and Imani Winds that have allowed newer ensembles, like Poiesis, to flourish.
’The Cleveland Quartet Award is named for one of history’s most illustrious ensembles, whose exceptional artistry and deep commitment to mentorship helped shape generations of quartets, including the Ariel, Pacifica, and Verona Quartets – all of whom have, in turn, been meaningful mentors to the Poiesis Quartet.
’It’s inspiring to see this lineage alive in Poiesis, whose brilliant musicianship and extraordinary artistry are already unmistakable, even in their short time together.’
Read: Postcard from Canada: Banff International String Quartet Competition
Read: ‘There will be blood’: the Danish Quartet at Santa Fe Pro Musica
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