The BECK STRING QUARTET was formed in 1890 by noted Cleveland composer JOHANN BECK. It was one of the forerunners of the Chamber Music Society and contributed immensely to the cultural life of the community. A successor of the SCHUBERT STRING QUARTET, which had also been organized by Beck, the Beck String Quartet gave its first concert on 16 Oct. 1890 in Unity Church. It consisted of Beck and Julias Deiss, violins; Benjamin Beck, viola; and Max Droge, cello. They performed Beck's String Quartet in C Minor on 6 Nov. of that same year. Schubert's Piano Trio in B-Flat Major got its first Cleveland hearing in 1891 with Beck, Droge, and pianist JAS. H. ROGERS, which rounded out the last season. They also performed with German singing societies.
Alexander, J. Heywood. It Must Be Heard (1981).
Grossman, F. Karl. A History of Music in Cleveland (1972).