Founded in 1994 when violinist Christian and cellist Tanja Tetzlaff joined with violinist Elisabeth Kufferath and violist Hanna Weinmeister, the ensemble has maintained a position amidst the highest echelons of quartet music making while its individual members continue their own careers. The results have been highly praised: ‘Supremely lyrical, exactingly detailed playing combined with impeccable balance and unanimity, resulting in an overwhelming performance,’ wrote The New York Times of one event.

The group’s discography includes three of the late Beethoven quartets, recordings that have received exceptional reviews. ‘You're acutely aware’, wrote Gramophone, ‘that this is a quartet of individuals, each player highly responsive to the others’. Jörg Widmann’s Second Quartet (or Choral Quartet, 2003) has a close connection to Haydn’s Seven Last Words of Our Saviour on the Cross.