Who is The Tokyo String Quartet and why am I excited they'll be performing in San Diego? It is a chance to hear one of the most venerated ensembles in the world.

Since it was founded in 1969, The Tokyo String Quartet has received extraordinary international acclaim.

They have been the quartet-in-residence at Yale University since 1976. They've published over 40 recordings on labels including RCA, Deutsche Grammophon, and EMI.

They've received seven Grammy nominations and been awarded "Best Chamber Music Recording of the Year" by Stereo Review and Gramophone magazines.

I'm sorry if this sounds promotional but that's just a sample of their accomplishments and I want to stress the quality of this group.

The program they'll be playing is interesting. They'll be collaborating with another string quartet for Shostakovich's Two Pieces for String Octet. They'll perform the Haydn Quartet in G major and Beethoven's Quartet in C-sharp minor.

They'll be at Sherwood Auditorium on the 21st at 3:00pm.

There is a prelude at 2:00 pm. The Old City String Quartet will be performing a Brahms quartet. See, these guys are rock stars, they have an opener.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry8gQUBy2C0&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL