For the half-century after World War II it was one of the foremost string quartets in Hungary, specializing in Haydn and Bartók, whose complete quartets it recorded for Hungaroton, Mozart and Beethoven as well, and were also responsible for first performances of works by certain Hungarian composers.
The membership of the quartet changed several times, but was led for its first 40 years by Vilmos Tátrai.
Vilmos Tátrai (1912–1999), Professor in the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, founded the quartet in 1946 with leading members of the Budapest Capital Orchestra, later called the Hungarian State Concert Orchestra.
In 1957 Tátrai founded the Hungarian Chamber Orchestra, which has no conductor, and remained its leader for more than two decades.
Their (more than 72) recordings on the Hungaroton, Telefunken, and Muza labels include extensive surveys of Beethoven, Bartók, Mozart and Haydn.