History made: Women’s quartet wins world championship of Barbershop Harmony Society
For the first time in its 88-year history, the Barbershop Harmony Society has a quartet champion whose singers are all women.
GQ, which formed in college a decade ago as a “Girls Quartet,” earned the gold medals Saturday night in St. Louis, the best of 52 quartets from around the world in the annual International Quartet Contest.
Founded in 1938 as an all-male organization, the Society opened membership to all people in 2018, and the first non-male quartets appeared in international competition in 2022. GQ placed fourth that year, and fifth in 2025.
The members of GQ are:
- Amanda Sandroni, tenor
- Katie Gillis, lead/bari
- Ali Hauger, lead/bari
- Samantha Tramack, bass
GQ sang six songs across three rounds, with music spanning Broadway, pop, Americana and other genres. Their high-energy performances are known for impeccable tuning, rich texture, and passionate presentation.
The top five quartets are:
- GQ
6723 pts / 93.4% - Gimme Four
6700 pts / 93.1% - Full Effect
6645 pts / 92.3% - First Take
6552 pts / 91.0% - Sunday Night Social
6544 pts / 90.9%