The Cleveland Quartet was one of the world's leading string quartet

String quartet

A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...

s for over two decades. It was founded in 1969 by violin

Violin

The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....

ists Donald Weilerstein and Peter Salaff, cellist Paul Katz

Paul Katz

Paul Katz is an internationally renowned American cellist, best known for his membership of the Cleveland Quartet. Katz currently teaches at the New England Conservatory following positions at Rice University and the Eastman School of Music. He serves on the National Advisory Board of the...

 and violist Martha Strongin Katz

Martha Strongin Katz

Martha Strongin Katz is a violist and member of the faculty of the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, where she teaches viola and chamber music...

, at the Cleveland Institute of Music

Cleveland Institute of Music

The Cleveland Institute of Music is an independent music conservatory located in the University Circle district of Cleveland, Ohio, United States and is overseen by president Joel Smirnoff and Adrian Daly, dean....

. The quartet subsequently disbanded in 1995 after twenty-six years of performance. As of 2007 Paul Katz, Martha Strongin Katz and Donald Weilerstein are on the faculty of the New England Conservatory of Music; Peter Salaff is on the faculty of the Cleveland Institute of Music.