The Borodin Quartet is a string quartet that was founded in 1945 in the then Soviet Union. It is one of the world's longest lasting string quartets, having marked its 60th anniversary season in 2005.
The quartet was one of the Soviet Union's best known in the West during the Cold War era, through concert performances in the United States and Europe and through distribution of their recordings.
The quartet had a close relationship with composer Dmitri Shostakovich, who personally consulted with them on each of his quartets. They also performed with the pianist Sviatoslav Richter on many occasions. They have recorded all of Shostakovich's string quartets as well as all of Beethoven's quartets. Their many recordings include works by a wide range of composers on the Melodiya, Teldec, Virgin Records, Chandos Records labels.
The original Borodin quartet's sound was characterised by an almost symphonic volume and a highly developed ability to phrase whilst maintaining group cohesion.[citation needed] Although it has seen many changes in personnel over its life span, all members of the quartet have been graduates of the Moscow Conservatory.