String quartet String quartet A string quartet is a musical ensemble consisting of four string players – two violin players, a viola player and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group. The string quartet is one of the most prominent chamber ensembles in classical music, with most major composers, from the mid 18th century onwards, writing string quartets. The string quartet was developed into its current form by the Austrian composer Joseph Haydn, with his works in the 1750s establishing the genre. Ever since Haydn's day the string quartet has been considered a prestigious form
String Quartet No. 16 (Villa-Lobos) String Quartet No. 16 (Villa-Lobos) String Quartet No. 16 is the penultimate of seventeen quartets by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, and was written in 1955. A performance lasts approximately twenty minutes. Villa-Lobos composed his Sixteenth Quartet in Paris in 1955. It was first performed by the Rio de Janeiro String Quartet (also known as the Iacovino Quartet) on 3 September 1958 in Rio de Janeiro . The first British performance was given at the College of Further Education Hall, as part of the Bromsgrove Festival of Music, on 25 February 1964 (; ). The quartet consists of the traditional