Quartet redefines chamber

Mozart, Shostakovich and some composers you've probably never heard of have been showing up in bars and coffee shops around the country.

The juxtaposition of classical music in commonplace settings isn't so much an effort to lure new young audiences as it is a sign that the musicians themselves are young and comfortable playing there.

Hip-looking and otherwise marketable chamber players and soloists such as cellist Matt Haimovitz have been turning up in all kinds of odd places. Gaining momentum as part of that trend over the past two years has been the Chiara String Quartet, which will be in the Triangle for three performances next weekend.

The quartet's visit here will be a little unorthodox. Rather than lining up gigs in local cafes and clubs, they'll be playing the big concert halls here.

The alternative scene is what brings them to North Carolina. Currently based in Lincoln, Neb., where they are artists-in-residence at the University of Nebraska, they'll open their tour here performing in a clothing store in Greensboro as part of the Eastern Music Festival Fringe Series. Then they'll play in more traditional venues on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Redefining the "chamber" in chamber music has helped market the ensemble, but the group's skill has carried the day.

Trained at Juilliard, the musicians of Chiara have built a reputation through tours and recordings, winning a series of competitions and gaining the attention of big-city critics.

In 2006, The Washington Post said they were too young to be compared to the greatest quartets but if they kept at it they could be in the same league. Last year, a New York Times critic said he was "enchanted" at a gig they played outdoors in Brooklyn between a garden and a bar and called them "highly skilled."

While in the Triangle, they'll be playing Brahms in Chapel Hill and Mozart in Durham and saving the newer stuff -- Gabriela Lena Frank, Zhou Long, Osvaldo Golijov and Bela Bartok -- for Raleigh.