The Kodály Quartet, originally formed in 1966 as the Sebestyén Quartet at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, won the Special Diploma from the International Quartet Competition in Geneva in their debut year. In 1970, after Ernő Sebestyén's departure, the remaining members renamed themselves the Kodály Quartet. They began international tours and released numerous albums under the Naxos label, including complete sets of string quartets by Beethoven, Haydn, and Schubert. The quartet received several accolades, such as the Liszt Prize in 1970 and the Bartók-Pásztory-Preis in 1996. Their Beethoven string quartets were highlighted by BBC Music Magazine in April 2000.
