It was founded in 1947 at the Brno Conservatory of music by its students. For an excellent interpretation of Leoš Janáček's works it acquired the right to bear his name. Since 1955, consisting of Jiří Trávníček, Adolf Sýkora, Jiří Kratochvíl and Karel Kabeto, it began touring abroad and gradually became famous all around the world. Nowadays the quartet hosts up to 50 performances a year.