Juilliard String Quartet

Founded in 1946 as a resident ensemble at New York’s Juilliard School of Music, the Juilliard String Quartet quickly established a reputation for playing to a stellar technical standard, with a level of performing intensity to match. From its beginnings, the ensemble’s repertory ranged widely, from the classical era of Mozart and Beethoven to modern and contemporary composers. The Quartet’s four original members, all members of the teaching faculty at the Juilliard School, were leader and first violinist Robert Mann, second violinist Robert Koff, violist Raphael Hillyer, and cellist Anton Winograd. This lineup remained unchanged for the Quartet’s first nine years, when its recordings on the Columbia label included a much-admired cycle of Bartók’s six String Quartets (rec. 1949), which at the time were still only rarely performed. Throughout the following decades of personnel changes, the constant presence was Robert Mann; when he retired in 1997 he had led the Quartet for 51 years, during which time they had performed over 600 works in more than 1,000 concerts, and had made more than 100 recordings. Major premieres during this era were works by leading contemporary composers, notably America’s Elliott Carter (his Second and Third quartets, 1960 and 1973). In 2022, the Quartet was recognized in its 75th season with a lifetime achievement award from The Recording Academy.