Another string to quartet's bow

Miranda Wilson, Jennifer Banks, Christiaan van der Zee and Anna van der Zee. Photo / Supplied

New Zealand's Tasman String Quartet has won a major prize in the Asia Pacific chamber music competition in Melbourne.

Competing against musicians from Australia, Japan, China and South Korea, the quartet won the A$5000 ($6320) Hamer-Tribe Trust Prize.

Named after former Victorian Premier Sir Rupert Hamer and classical music benefactor the late Kenneth Tribe, the prize was awarded for the best interpretation and performance of the quartet's own choice of music in the competition's second round.

The quartet - Anna van der Zee and Jennifer Banks (violins), Miranda Wilson (cello) and Christiaan van der Zee (viola) - is based in Boulder, Colorado.

First place in the quartet's section of the competition was won by Melbourne's Hamer Quartet, which also won the most outstanding Australian ensemble title and the audience prize for quartets.

The Nibbana Trio from China won the trio section.