This is a list of string quartet composers, chronologically sorted by date of birth and then by surname. It includes only composers who have Wikipedia articles. This list is by no means complete. String quartets are written for four string instrumentsusually two violins, viola and cellounless stated otherwise.
Born in the 16th century
Gregorio Allegri (1582–1652): The earliest known composition for two violins, viola and cello (although is referred to as "Duoi Violini, Alto, & Basso di Viola") is attributed to him. Scholars often refer to it as a "Symphonia" or as a four-part sonata. Still, it is the very first example of a composition for this combination which does not involve the use of a basso continuo, which was unusual to omit at that time.
Born in the 17th century Alessandro Scarlatti (1660–1725): Amongst his output of chamber sonatas, he wrote a set of Sonate a quattro per due violini, violetta e violoncello senza cembalo (c. 1715–1725). Georg Philipp Telemann (1681–1767): An example is Sonata á Violino I, Violino II, Viola e Violono in A major TWV 40:200. There is an expanded version for chamber string orchestra.
Born in the 18th century
Born in the 1700s Giovanni Battista Sammartini (c. 1700–1775): Wrote several quartets, though as with many early works for the medium, some of these could be played equally appropriately by a small string orchestra. Franz Xaver Richter (1709–1789): Wrote seven string quartets, Op. 5 (1757).
Born in the 1720s Pietro Nardini (1722–1793): six string quartets, published around 1767. Carl Friedrich Abel (1723–1787): published in groups of six: Op. 8 (1769); Op. 12 (1775), Op. 15 (1789). Giovanni Battista Cirri (1724–1808): 6 String Quartets Op. 13 Franz Asplmayr (1728–1786): published in groups of six: Op. 6 (c.1765), Op. 2 (1769) Florian Leopold Gassmann (1729–1774): He is thought to have composed 37 string quartets, including six quartetti published c. 1768 as Op. 1 (H431–6); a set published as Op. 2 (H441–2, 435, 444–6); and a further six published posthumously in 1804 (H451–6).
Born in the 1730s Tommaso Giordani (1730–1806): 10 string quartets. Antonín Kammel (1730–1784/5): Czech composer who wrote at least two string quartets Christian Cannabich (1731–1798): Six string quartets Op. 5 (about 1780) Joseph Haydn (1732–1809): Wrote sixty-eight string quartets (some of which he called Divertimenti), the last incomplete, plus Die Sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlösers am Kreuze (The Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross), a sequence of eight slow movements plus a brief, rapid finale (originally written for orchestra, but probably better known in its version for string quartet). He also arranged a set of six preludes and fugues by Gregor Werner for string quartet. List of string quartets by Joseph Haydn Thomas Erskine (1732–1781): Nine string quartets François-Joseph Gossec (1734–1829): Twelve string quartets: Op. 14 (1770) and Op. 15 (1772). Johann Christian Bach (1735–1782): three quartets (1776) Johann Georg Albrechtsberger (1736–1809): 73 string quartets (called Divertimenti during 1760s and Sonate during 1780s and after), Op. 7 (1787), Op. 20 6 quartetti con fughe per diversi stromenti (1800) Josef Mysliveček (1737–1781): 18 string quartets: Op. 3 (1768), Op. 1 (1777), and Op. Post (1781). Vincenzo Manfredini (1737–1799): Six string quartets (about 1780) Michael Haydn (1737–1806): 19 string quartets. Pierre Vachon (1738–1803): About 30 string quartets including Six Quartettos for two violins, a Tenor and Bass Op. 5 (c. 1775) and Six Quatuors Concertans pour deux Violons, Alto et Basse Op. 11 (1782).http://www.musicologie.org/Biographies/v/vachon_pierre.html musicologie.org Johann Baptist Wanhal (1739–1813): Over seventy string quartets. Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf (1739–1799): Composed 13 string quartets and published 12. He also composed several trios and quintets.
Born in the 1740s Anton Ferdinand Tietz (1742-1811): 16 string quartets. Ernst Eichner (1740–1777): In addition to flute quartets he wrote a set of six quartets, not for the usual instrument combination of 2 violins, viola, and cello, but for violin, viola, cello and double bass: Sechs Quartette (6 Quartets) Op. 12 (published 1776–77). Giovanni Paisiello (1740–1816): Nine string quartets. Henri-Joseph Rigel (1741–1799): Six string quartets. Anton Zimmermann (1741–1781): Silesian-born composer who wrote six string quartets Op. 3 (c.1775). Václav Pichl (1741–1805): Wrote over thirty quartets; he was one of the founders of the Vienna Violin School. Antoine-Laurent Baudron (1742–1834): Amongst the first French composers to write string quartets, his Sei quartetti Op. 3 were published in 1768. Roman Hoffstetter (1742–1815): An Austrian monk and composer, now supposed to have composed the six string quartets known as Haydn's Op. 3, including the well-known 'Serenade Quartet'. Luigi Boccherini (1743–1805): A prolific composer in most chamber music genres, Boccherini wrote 91 string quartets—he also wrote 125 string quintets. List of string quartets by Luigi Boccherini Gaetano Brunetti (1744–1798): Italian composer active in the Madrid area, wrote at least 50 string quartets, but also 47 trios, 65 quintets and 12 sextets Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745–1799): Eighteen quartets published in three sets comprising: Six quartets Op. 1, Six quartetto concertans "Au gout du jour" (1779) and Six quartetto concertans Op. 14 (1785). Maddalena Laura Sirmen (1745–1818): Six String quartets, published 1771. Giuseppe Cambini (1746–1825): Wrote 149 string quartets and 30 quartets d'airs variés (many of which also exist in versions with winds). Alfred Einstein suggests that Mozart's fourth flute quartet, in his opinion a satirical work, may have been in part a comment on their popularity. Leopold Koželuch (1747–1818): Six string quartets. Emanuel Aloys Förster (1748–1823): Six string quartets Op. 7 (c. 1794), six string quartets Op. 16 (c. 1798), three string quartets Op. 21 (1802). William Shield (1748–1829): six string quartets (1782)
Born in the 1750s Antonio Rosetti (c. 1750 – 1792): Eleven string quartets. Bartolomeo Campagnoli (1751–1827): Six string quartets. John Marsh (1752–1828): String Quartet in B major (only surviving quartet). Franz Anton Hoffmeister (1754–1812): Fifty string quartets (plus seven for violin, two violas and cello) (source: Grove online). Peter Winter (1754–1825): At least eight string quartets. Giovanni Battista Viotti (1755–1824): Fifteen string quartets. Franz Grill (1756?–1792): Nine string quartets. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791): Twenty-three string quartets, including the six so-called Haydn Quartets (1782–1785), generally reckoned to be his best, the Hoffmeister Quartet (1786), and the Prussian Quartets (1789–1790). Joseph Martin Kraus (1756–1792): Ten string quartets. See also his Flute quintet in D major. Paul Wranitzky (1756–1808): Wrote seventy-three string quartets which, at their best (the six quartets of Op. 16, the six of Op. 23), are second only to Haydn and the mature Mozart in quality. Ignace Pleyel (1757–1831): Student of Haydn, wrote 70 string quartets. Alessandro Rolla (1757–1841): Ten string quartets: three as Op. 2, three as Op. 5, and four others (source: Grove). Charles Wesley junior (1757–1834): 6 Quartettos, published in 1779. Franz Krommer / František Kramář (1759–1831): Approximately 100 string quartets, many of which were very popular in early 19th century Vienna, and were compared positively to Beethoven's quartets.
Born in the 1760s Luigi Cherubini (1760–1842): Six string quartets (1814–1837). Jan Ladislav Dussek (1760–1812): Published three string quartets, Op. 60. Antonín Vranický / Anton Wranitzky (1761–1820): Thirty quartets. A founder of the Vienna "violin school" and major virtuoso, he was the teacher of Ignaz Schuppanzigh and leader of the Lobkowitz orchestra. Adalbert Gyrowetz / Vojtěch Matyáš Jírovec (1763–1850): Friend of Mozart, wrote at least forty-two string quartets (Grove), possibly more than fifty (Hyperion CD notes). Paul Alday (c. 1763 – 1835): Three string quartets (B-flat major, A major, C minor) (London & Oxford, c.1795) Joseph Leopold Eybler (1765–1846): Friend of Mozart, a pupil of Albrechtsberger (who declared him to be the greatest musical genius in Vienna apart from Mozart) and a protégé of Joseph Haydn. Three string quartets, Op. 1, available on CD, written at the age of 22 in 1787 (published in 1794). Rodolphe Kreutzer (1766–1831): Fifteen string quartets. Samuel Wesley (1766–1837): At least one quartet (in E major, written around 1810). Bernhard Romberg (1767–1841): Eleven complete string quartets, two sets of three quartets each Op. 1 & 25, and single quartets Opp. 12, 37, 39, 59, 60. Andreas Romberg (1767–1821): Twenty-nine complete string quartets: Three quartets each in Opp. 1, 2, 5, 7, 16, 30, 53, 59 and 76; a single quartet, Op. 40, and a quatuor brilliant, Op. 11. He also wrote three rondos for string quartet, Op. 34. Johannes Spech (1767–1836): Nine string quartets. Louis-Emmanuel Jadin (1768–1853): Six string quartets. Józef Elsner (1769–1854): At least three string quartets.
Born in the 1770s Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827): Sixteen quartets, widely regarded as the finest quartets ever composed. The Große Fuge was originally composed as the last movement of Op. 130, but was subsequently published as a separate work. Peter Hänsel (1770–1831): At least forty-nine quartets. Anton Reicha (1770–1836): At least thirty-seven string quartets (14 of them newly discovered), of which the eight Vienna quartets (1801–1806) are the most important. Though largely ignored since Reicha's lifetime, they were highly influential works. Groups in Europe have begun programming Reicha's quartets, and the first modern editions and first recordings are now in the works. Georg Abraham Schneider (1770–1839): At least twelve quartets, three each in Op. 10, 20, 65 and 68. Pierre Baillot (1771–1842): Three string quartets. Antonio Casimir Cartellieri (1772–1807): Three string quartets. Joseph Wölfl (1773–1812): An Austrian student of Michael Haydn and Leopold Mozart and a rival of Beethoven composed at least 13 string quartets including three quartets Op. 4, three quartets Op. 30 and six quartets Op. 51. Pierre Rode (1774–1830): Eight string quartets. Hyacinthe Jadin (1776–1800): Twelve string quartets in four opera, Opp. 1, 2, 3, 4, all in four movements except Op. 4, No. 1. Modeled on Haydn & Mozart; pre-romantic.Audivis Valois & ASV CD notes Joseph Küffner (1776–1856): At least five string quartets (Op. 41 nos. 1–3, Op. 52, Op. 178). Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778–1837): Three string quartets, Op. 30, No. 1 in C major; Op. 30, No. 2 in G major and Op. 30, No. 3 in E major (all c. 1808). Joachim Nicolas Eggert (1779–1813): Swedish composer who composed at least twelve string quartets including: Three quartets Op. 1 (c. 1807), three quartets Op. 2 (c. 1810) and three quartets Op. 3.
Born in the 1780s Niccolò Paganini (1782–1840): Fifteen string quartets for violin, viola, guitar and cello, as well as three traditional string quartets. George Onslow (1784–1853): Thirty-six quartets were written between 1810 and 1845. Ferdinand Ries (1784–1838): Twenty-six string quartets including: Three quartets Op. 70 (1812, 1815) and String Quartet in F minor, WoO. 48 (1833–1835). Louis Spohr (1784–1859): Known as Ludwig in his native Germany, Spohr wrote thirty-six string quartets and four double quartets (for two string quartets). List of string quartets by Louis Spohr Henry Bishop (1786–1855): String Quartet in C minor (1816) Carl Eberwein (1786–1868): At least one string quartet, Op. 4, in A major. Friedrich Schneider (1786–1853): Ten string quartets. Alexander Alyabyev (1787–1851): At least two string quartets, plus one incomplete.http://www.cvnc.org/reviews/2002/march/ArtariaString.html this concert notice Franz Xaver Gebel (1787–1843): At least three string quartets.