The Tokyo String Quartet

The Tokyo String Quartet was a renowned international chamber music ensemble founded in 1969. The founding members initially met and formed the group while they were students at the Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo. They quickly rose to international prominence by winning competitions in Europe.

For a significant portion of their career, the ensemble was renowned for performing on the 'Paganini Quartet.' This was a highly prized set of four stringed instruments crafted by the legendary luthier Antonio Stradivari. The instruments were loaned to the quartet by the Nippon Music Foundation.

After a highly successful career spanning over four decades, the Tokyo String Quartet officially disbanded in 2013. They concluded their tenure with a final farewell concert tour. Their final performance took place at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival in Connecticut.

The ensemble was celebrated globally for its exceptional interpretations of the classical and Romantic chamber music repertoire. Over their career, they recorded the complete string quartets of major composers like Beethoven, Schubert, and Bartók to critical acclaim. They also served as distinguished faculty members at Yale University.