The LaSalle Quartet was a string quartet active from 1946 to 1987. It was founded by first violinist Walter Levin. The quartet played on a donated set of Amati instruments.
The LaSalle Quartet was best known for its espousal of the Second Viennese School of Schoenberg, Berg and Webern, and of the European modernists who derived from that tradition, though they also performed standard classical and romantic literature. György Ligeti dedicated his Second String Quartet to the group, and they premiered it in Baden-Baden on December 14th, 1969. The quartet has been credited with the "Zemlinsky Renaissance,"[1] as Zemlinsky remained largely unknown until they performed his works. The quartet won the Deutscher Schallplattenpreis for their recording of his four string quartets.
The Alban Berg, Artemis, Amernet, Prazak and Vogler string quartets are among the world-famous ensembles who studied performance with members of the LaSalle Quartet.
The LaSalle Quartet was the quartet-in-residence at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and cellist Lee Fiser continues to teach there. Henry Meyer died in December 2006. Walter Levin currently lives and works in Basel, Switzerland. Violist Peter Kamnitzer currently lives with his wife in Israel.