String quartet Violini, Violetta [viola], e Violoncello senza Cembalo" (Sonata for four instruments: two violins, viola, and cello without harpsichord), this was a natural evolution from the existing tradition. The string quartet in its now accepted form came about with Haydn. If the combination of two violins, viola and cello was not unknown before Haydn, when it occurred in chamber music it was more likely through circumstance than conscious design; certainly the string quartet enjoyed no recognized status as an ensemble in the way that two violins with basso continuo – the so-called 'trio sonata' – had for more than a hundred
Annex String Quartet Annex String Quartet The Annex String Quartet, also known as The Annex Quartet, is a string quartet founded by violist Yunior Lopez in 2008 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Named after The Annex neighbourhood in downtown Toronto, the quartet began performing regularly in Toronto's many bars, coffee shops, and non-classical venues like Aroma Espresso Bar and the St. Lawrence Market. In 2010, they made their American debut alongside the Kronos Quartet at Carnegie Hall, and have since appeared in over 100 performances, recordings, and broadcasts. To date, the group's primary focus has been bridging the gap between classical and world music,