Tokyo String Quartet

For 43 years the Tokyo String Quartet ranked among the world's foremost and most admired string quartets. The ensemble distinguished itself through its opulent sound, its fidelity to the score, and its sustained investment in pedagogy. Formed in 1969, the original members were Koichiro Harada (first violin), Yoshiko Nakura (second violin), Kazuhide Isomura (viola), and Sadao Harada (cello). All four had studied at Toho Gakuen during the 1960s under the renowned cellist and conductor Hideo Saito. The initial impulse to create a permanent quartet came during workshops given in Nikko in 1966 by members of the Juilliard Quartet, who noted the absence of any established Japanese ensemble and encouraged the young players to fill that role. The encounter prompted the musicians to enroll at Juilliard, where they formally constituted themselves as the Tokyo String Quartet. What began as an informal workshop for repertoire study soon evolved into a fully professional commitment. In 1970 the group secured first prizes at the Young Concert Artists International Auditions, the Munich International Chamber Music Competition, and the Coleman String Quartet Competition, the last of which was adjudicated by the Amadeus Quartet. Victory at Munich brought a guarantee of 100 engagements together with a recording contract from Deutsche Grammophon. Nakura departed in 1974 to launch a solo career and was succeeded by Kikuei Ikeda; in 1981 Harada yielded his chair to Peter Oundjian, who had studied with Ivan Galamian and Dorothy DeLay. Education remained a central priority throughout the ensemble's existence, manifested in coaching sessions and master classes at universities worldwide. The quartet had served as Yale University's resident ensemble since 1977 and assumed the role of artist in residence at the University of Cincinnati in 1987. After Oundjian sustained a hand injury in 1996, Andrew Dawes of the Orford String Quartet filled the position on an interim basis; in 1997 Mikhail Kopelman, formerly of the Borodin Quartet, assumed the post permanently. Founding cellist Sadao Harada left in 1999 and was replaced by Clive Greensmith, previously principal cellist of the Royal Philharmonic, while Martin Beaver joined as first violinist in 2002. This personnel configuration remained intact until the quartet retired in 2013. Over its history the group issued more than 40 recordings, encompassing the complete quartets of Beethoven, Bartók, Janáček, and Schubert.