[9] In August 2021, the quartet announced its plan to disband at the end of the 2022–2023 season in order to focus on teaching and solo work.

The final performance of the quartet took place on Sunday, October 22, 2023, in New York City, featuring a program of Beethoven's Op.

[11][12] The members of the group at the time of its retirement were: Eugene Drucker and Philip Setzer, violin; Lawrence Dutton, viola (since 1977); and Paul Watkins, cello (since 2013).

Cellist David Finckel called this a "huge break" for the ensemble, allowing it to develop a worldwide audience for its performances.

Violinist Eugene Drucker even says of his modern violin "In a large space like Carnegie Hall, the Zygmuntowicz is superior to my Strad.