Spektral Quartet commissioned a great deal of new music, and its programming often explored musical dialogues between contemporary works and traditional repertory. The group held major residences at the University of Chicago and other prestigious institutions. Spektral Quartet released its debut album, Chambers, in 2013, and the following year, it issued From This Point Forward with contemporary accordionist Julien Labro and saxophonist Miguel Zenón. The group garnered considerable publicity for its 2014 Mobile Miniatures project, commissioning 40 composers for ringtone-length compositions. Spektral Quartet's 2016 album Serious Business earned the first of its three Grammy nominations, and the group members were named Chicagoans of the Year by the Chicago Tribune in 2017. The quartet returned in 2021 with the album Spektral Quartet Performs Anna Thorvaldsdottir. Spektral Quartet disbanded in 2022, although several unfinished recording projects were scheduled for future release.