By LISA ROBINSON

One of the numerous glowing accounts of the Juilliard String Quartet's debut recital at Town Hall on December 23, 1947, Irving Kolodin's review for The New York Sun ended with a toast and a prediction: "May they remain together to celebrate a silver anniversary, in the manner of the Flonzaleys! They could be as good." Six decades later these words seem quaint, as the Juilliard String Quartet's tenure and influence have long surpassed that of the Flonzaley Quartet, which disbanded in 1928.

With first violinist Robert Mann, second violinist Robert Koff, violist Raphael Hillyer, and cellist Arthur Winograd as its original members, the Juilliard String Quartet was founded by Mann in 1946, with the support of the Juilliard administration. As Mann recalls, "Two days after my discharge from the Army in 1946, I was interviewed by William Schuman, the new president of Juilliard, concerning the establishment of a resident string quartet—my life's dream. He asked me, 'Will your quartet be the best?' I answered, 'It will be one of the best.' He hired me!" The quartet gave its first concert appearance on October 11, 1946, at Juilliard before an invited audience that included both Yehudi Menuhin and Zoltan Kodaly.

The original Juilliard String Quartet members Robert Mann, Robert Koff, Raphael Hillyer, and Arthur Winograd. Claus Adam was the cellist from 1955 to 1974, and Earl Carlyss, who is still on the violin faculty, was the second violinist from 1966 to 1986. (Photo by G.D. Hackett)

It did not take long for the Juilliard String Quartet to emerge as the leading American string quartet and achieve international recognition for its excellence. Today, the ensemble looks back on more than 4,000 sold-out performances in all major cities of the U.S. and more than 30 other countries, appearances at virtually every major music festival around the world, a residency at the Library of Congress since 1962, and a brilliant discography of more than 100 items. (A survey of J.S.Q. recordings appears in the Discoveries column.) A review in The Glasgow Herald of a 1958 performance at the Edinburgh Festival captures the extraordinary level of artistry that has distinguished the Juilliard String Quartet throughout its history: "In unanimity, in control of tone, in rhythmic vitality, and in intonation, the quartet appeared unsurpassable. The formidable, even outrageous difficulties of Bartok were met with such supreme technical command that the first and fourth quartets, which comprised the programme, could hardly be made to sound more convincing, more unmistakably 'right.'"

Considering that two of the group's current members were not yet born at the time of its founding (and the other two were kindergarten age), the Juilliard String Quartet has maintained a remarkably consistent identity during its 60 years in existence. The principal reason for this is certainly the dynamic imprint of Robert Mann, who remained as the ensemble's first violinist for an astonishing 51 years. When Mr. Mann retired in 1997, what could have been a difficult transition was smoothed by the repositioning of Joel Smirnoff, the quartet's second violinist for the previous 11 years, as first violinist. Ronald Copes won the position of second violinist, joining Mr. Smirnoff, cellist Joel Krosnick, and violist Samuel Rhodes as the quartet's single new member.

Reflecting on the ensemble's evolution over the course of its history, Mr. Krosnick observes, "There have been 11 members of the Juilliard String Quartet in 60 years. Each change has always been the change of one member, who joined the remaining three in a continuation of the established traditions as well as in a re-examination and renewal of those same traditions; and by this process a new life and spirit were added to the quartet."

The current members of the Juilliard String Quartet are (from left) Joel Smirnoff, Joel Krosnick, Samuel Rhodes, and Ronald Copes. (Photo by Nana Watanabe/SONY Classical)

A hallmark of the Juilliard String Quartet since its inception has been its commitment to new music. The quartet's comprehensive repertory of more than 500 works contains some 150 works by 20th- and 21st-century composers, including the premieres of more than 60 works by American composers. Asked to recall his most memorable performances with the ensemble, Mr. Rhodes mentions several such premieres: "There are many performances that stand out for me over the years I have been with the quartet—my very first performance with the J.S.Q. at the 92nd Street Y.M.H.A. in 1969, the world premiere of the third Elliott Carter Quartet in 1973 at Juilliard, the Beethoven cycle in Carnegie Hall in the mid-1980s, the premiere of the fourth Donald Martino Quartet at the Library of Congress in 1985, and the world premiere of Milton Babbitt's Clarinet Quintet with Charles Neidich at the group's 50th-anniversary celebration in 1996 are just a few of them."

Also known for its championship of the Bartok quartets, the J.S.Q. was the first ensemble to play all six quartets in the U.S., continuing to program them even though they were not immediately popular with audiences. In the summer of 1948 the quartet made nationwide headlines for its performance of the complete Bartok quartets at the Berkshire Music Festival in Tanglewood —a feat it has since repeated more than 25 times.

Visit our digital exhibit, the Legacy of the J.S.Q., part of our Virtual Timeline of Juilliard History. Listen to selections from J.S.Q. recordings.

Commenting on highlights of the quartet's 60th-anniversary season this year, Mr. Smirnoff notes, "There are many special concerts that will feature many of the works with which the quartet has historically been associated. There will be complete Bartok Quartet cycles in New York, Dallas, Houston, El Paso, Lexington (Va.), Tokyo, and at the Ravinia Festival. Of course, having recorded the cycle three different times over its lifetime [in 1949, 1963, and 1983], the Juilliard has had an evolving point of view with these works, reflecting so much experience with them. To us, they are classics which reflect, much like the Beethoven Quartets, a lifetime of a great and searching composer.

"We will also play three of the six Mozart Quartets dedicated to Haydn [K. 421, K. 428, and K. 465] and we will be playing from a first edition with period markings so generously given to The Juilliard School by the chairman of our board of trustees, Mr. Bruce Kovner. We four are expecting to gain new insight into these staples of the repertoire from this experience."

In addition to its momentous contributions to chamber music performance, the Juilliard String Quartet has played a formative role in the artistic development of countless younger players and ensembles at Juilliard. The La Salle, Emerson, Tokyo, St. Lawrence, Brentano, and Chiara Quartets, to name a few, were all formed and trained by the members of the J.S.Q. at the School. According to Mr. Rhodes, teaching has been "a supremely important part of our existence."

Some indication of the force of that influence is conveyed by cellist Andrew Yee (B.M. '06), a first-year master's student and member of the Attacca Quartet, in the following comments:

Juilliard String Quartet: Two All-Bartok Programs Alice Tully Hall Wednesday, Nov. 8, 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 10, 8 p.m. Free tickets available at the Juilliard Box Office. Please see the Calendar of Events for more information.

"Perceptions change over time. When I first got to Juilliard I was under the impression that there was a brilliant solo career that would magically appear after four years of study. Luckily, before I realized this was false, I formed the Attacca Quartet with three of my friends. Joel Smirnoff was our coach. When we went in for our first coaching, we sat down and played a lively, quasi-cocky Mendelssohn quartet. When he was done ripping us apart, we knew that we had to do something different. From that day on, we had higher expectations for ourselves. Since then we have studied with all of the current members of the quartet, and they have become like parents to us. Sure, we go study with our 'fun uncles' like the Emerson and St. Lawrence Quartets every once in a while, but we always come home to our dads. I cannot begin to thank the Juilliard Quartet for all they have done for us. I cannot imagine doing anything but playing string quartets for the rest of my life."

Violinist Augustin Hadelich, a student in Juilliard's Artist Diploma program and recent winner of the Indianapolis International Violin Competition, says of his experience being coached by the quartet: "Each J.S.Q. member had a completely unique way of passing on his musical and technical knowledge, and it changed my whole approach to quartet playing and to playing the violin in general."

The creation of the Juilliard String Quartet as a resident performance and teaching ensemble at Juilliard stands as an enduring legacy of former Juilliard president William Schuman and violinist Robert Mann, who continues to serve as a distinguished member of the School's faculty. Exerting a profound influence on chamber music performance and pedagogy worldwide, the J.S.Q. has brought enormous honor to its namesake institution. May they remain together to celebrate a centennial, in the manner of the School whose name they bear!

Lisa Robinson is senior writer for special projects and proposals in the Office of Development and Public Affairs.