The Martinů Quartet plays not only the music of its namesake but also that of other major Czech composers. The group has an international touring career and also holds teaching workshops in the Czech Republic. The Martinů Quartet was formed in 1976 at the Prague Conservatory in what was then Czechoslovakia. The players were all students of Viktor Moučka, a member of the Vlach Quartet. At the beginning, the group was called the Havlák Quartet, named for first violinist Lubomír Havlák; he remained first violinist as of the early 2020s, and the other members -- second violinist Adéla Štajnochrová, violist Zbyněk Paďourek, and cellist Jitka Vlašánková -- have all been members of the group for many years. The group also studied at the Academy of Performing Arts (AMU) in Prague under Antonín Kohout of the Smetana Quartet. In 1985, after the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation approved the move, the Havlák Quartet became the Martinů Quartet (Kvarteto Martinů in Czech). The group agreed to promote the chamber music of Bohuslav Martinů but has also specialized in the music of Czech composers Smetana, Dvořák, and Janáček. In 1993, the Martinů Quartet made its recording debut, appearing on the Praga label on an album of music by contemporary Czech composer Jindřich Feld. Later in the 1990s, the quartet released two volumes of the Concertante Quartets of Antonín Vranický on the Studio Matous label. Prizes at major events such as the Yehudi Menuhin Competition helped the group's growing career along. The Martinů Quartet has performed on major concert stages around Europe, North America, and Japan, including Wigmore Hall in London, the Opéra de la Bastille in Paris, and the Berlin Schauspielhaus. The group has been heard routinely on Czech radio and also on the national radio networks of the U.K., Germany, Austria, and France. The Martinů Quartet is a frequent guest at the Prague Spring Festival and has appeared at several other festivals in Britain and other countries. The group has recorded the complete string quartets of Martinů for the Naxos label and has also focused on the work of contemporary American composers, recording the 12 quartets of Tomáš Svoboda. The Martinů Quartet has also performed new works by contemporary Czech composers. In addition to Naxos, the quartet has recorded for Supraphon, Navona, and other labels, moving to Bridge for a 2023 release of music by David Post. By that time, the group's recording catalog comprised more than 25 items. ~ James Manheim, Rovi