St. John added, "The quartet's enthusiasm and drive to make music come alive, in addition to the dynamic individual personalities within the group, makes this a dream situation for me. I look forward to combining energies with my longtime friends in this new configuration and working together in the intense world of string quartets."
The quartet was founded in 1989 and won the Banff and Young Concert Artists' competitions in 1992. Since 1998, it has been the ensemble-in-residence at Stanford University. The group's CDs, recorded for EMI, have received a Grammy nominations, among other honors. Its next disc, featuring Shostakovich's string quartets Nos. 3, 7 and 8, is scheduled for release this summer.
St. John has been a member of the faculty of the University of Toronto since 1998. He won the Young Concert Artists Award in 1990, and has appeared in recent years with the Music from Marlboro Tour, at the Seattle Chamber Music Festival, and at Lincoln Center.