Tokyo String Quartet
| Company type | String quartet |
|---|---|
| Industry | Classical music |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Defunct | 2013 |
| Headquarters | New Haven , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Koichiro Harada, Peter Oundjian, Andrew Dawes, Mikhail Kopelman, Martin Beaver, Yoshiko Nakura, Kikuei Ikeda, Kazuhide Isomura, Sadao Harada, Clive Greensmith |
| Products | Classical music recordings and performances |
Number of employees | 4 (typical string quartet) |
The was a globally recognized string quartet that remained active from 1969 until 2013.
History
Established in 1969 at the Juilliard School of Music by graduates of Tokyo's Toho Gakuen School of Music, where they trained under Professor Hideo Saito, the ensemble rapidly earned international recognition. They achieved First Prize distinctions at the Coleman Competition, Munich Competition, and Young Concert Artists International Auditions, which led to a recording agreement with Deutsche Grammophon.
Throughout their career, the quartet produced more than 40 albums covering a broad classical repertoire. Their work received prestigious honors including the Grand Prix du Disque Montreux, "Best Chamber Music Recording" accolades from Stereo Review and Gramophone, as well as seven Grammy nominations. Their discography was released through prominent labels such as Deutsche Grammophon, RCA Victor Red Seal, Angel-EMI, CBS Masterworks, and subsequently Harmonia Mundi.
In celebration of their 25th anniversary in 1994, they embarked on a tour featuring the entire cycle of Beethoven String Quartets. The quartet also made appearances on leading television shows including "Sesame Street", "CBS Sunday Morning", PBS's "Great Performances", and "National Arts".
Starting in 1976, members held teaching positions at the Yale School of Music. Performances were often delivered using the distinguished Paganini Quartet, a set of instruments crafted by the luthier Stradivari.
The group concluded its activities in 2013 following the retirements of violist Kazuhide Isomura and second violinist Kikuei Ikeda.
First violin
- 1969 Koichiro Harada
- 1981 Peter Oundjian
- 1995 Andrew Dawes
- 1996 Mikhail Kopelman
- 2002 Martin Beaver
Second violin
- 1969 Yoshiko Nakura
- 1974 Kikuei Ikeda
Viola
- 1969 Kazuhide Isomura
Cello
- 1969 Sadao Harada
- 2000 Clive Greensmith
External links
- Official site
- The Tokyo String Quartet Performs Detailed analysis of the concert held on 6 March 2011.