Flonzaley Quartet

[3] The quartet was the creation of Edward J. de Coppet of New York, who in 1903 engaged the original members to devote themselves entirely to quartet-playing, and not with any view to giving regular concerts in public.

After a long period of practice, the Quartet made a European tour and won high praise for the perfection of its ensemble and its artistic finish.

Both violinists and the violist had been students of the Belgian maestro César Thomson, who would also teach members of a contemporaneous pioneering American chamber group, the Zoellner Quartet.

The members stuck to the original principle of not accepting any outside engagement, and having no pupils, and by devoting themselves entirely to the quartet maintained a position of acknowledged superiority in their field.

The original violist Ugo Ara left the group to join the Italian army, resulting in his replacement.