The Martinů Quartet, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, ranks amongst the leading representatives of the Czech string quartet tradition. Founded in 1976 by students of the Prague Conservatory, the ensemble was shaped under the guidance of leading figures in Czech string quartet performance – Professors Viktor Moučka of the Vlach Quartet and Antonín Kohout of the Smetana Quartet. Their other teachers were leading figures in the international string quartet tradition – members of the Guarneri, Tel Aviv, Juilliard and Amadeus Quartets.
The successful early years of what was then still the Havlák Quartet were marked by notable successes at international competitions, from which the quartet brought home several laureate titles – among the most significant were awards from the Yehudi Menuhin Competition in Portsmouth, UK, the ARD Competition in Munich and the Prague Spring Competition.
In 1985, the quartet adopted the name of the composer Bohuslav Martinů into its title, thereby committing itself to promoting his chamber music. The ensemble recorded a complete set of his seven string quartets for the NAXOS label; for the second CD in this set, the quartet won a major award in 2004 at the prestigious MIDEM trade fair in Cannes for the best CD of the year in the category of 20th-century solo and chamber music. Other accolades include the ‘Record of the Month’ award from the British music portal MusicWeb International for their recording of Leoš Janáček’s String Quartets, as well as for their recording of Sylvie Bodorová’s Terezín Ghetto Requiem.
Throughout its distinguished musical career, the Martinů Quartet has performed at major concert venues across Europe, North America and Japan, and has collaborated with a number of international radio stations. Particularly groundbreaking, for example, was their recording of three string quartets by František Škroup, or their recording of the Oboe Quartet by the 20th-century American composer Elliott Carter.
The quartet also enjoyed a long-standing collaboration with one of the most successful Czech composers, Tomáš Svoboda, who lived and worked in the United States. Between 2008 and 2017, the ensemble recorded all 12 of his string quartets and, during one of its tours of the USA, dedicated two concerts and an hour-long ‘live’ programme for an American radio station to his work in Portland, where the composer had been based.
Another example of the Martinů Quartet’s keen interest in 20th- and 21st-century music is their recording of Petr Eben’s chamber works, released by Supraphon in 2017. In 2026, the quartet celebrated its anniversary and its long-standing collaboration with the American composer Elliott McKinley by releasing a special LP edition featuring his works.
Also worth mentioning are the international chamber music courses PLAYWIP (Play with Professionals), which the quartet organises at various locations across the Czech Republic and during which its members are not merely instructors but become part of the individual chamber ensembles themselves. Amateur and professional musicians alike, who come from all over the world to attend these popular courses, thus have the opportunity to spend several days working intensively on a given piece alongside professional and experienced chamber musicians.
