The string quartet known as Ethel taps directly into the maverick spirit that, for 32 years, has guided the Festival of New American Music.

The festival, based at Sacramento State and operating on a shoestring budget, draws musicians with national and even international reputations for performing adventurous works.

In the concert realm, Ethel is in high demand and has performed with the likes of Yo-Yo Ma, Loudon Wainwright III and Lenny Kravitz. The quartet has released nine CDs, with its 2003 debut CD, "Ethel," named best album by Billboard magazine.

Its four Juilliard-trained musicians have a preference for playing works written since 1995. They also are fearless about tearing down the musical barriers that exist between a string quartet and its audience, and between classical musician and high school student, as they have done with outreach to teenage Navajo and Hopi composers.

"The world is changing, and it's exciting to see chamber music reflect that," said Ethel violinist Cornelius Dufallo. And that means playing works by protean composers Don Byron and John Zorn.

Ethel's road less taken includes playing amplified in order to include sound loop tracks in their performances. That approach is rarely seen with string quartets, where playing without amplification is considered sacrosant.

Ethel also likes crossing musical genres. They mirror jazz musicians in their focus on improvising during performances.

The results are fresh-faced performances where the music can be jazzy and lilting one moment, primly classical another and rocklike the next.

"There's a lot of baggage with chamber music that doesn't have to be there," Dufallo said. "People clap between movements in our shows – and that's fine with us because we don't care. We're happy that the audience is having a good time."

In another nod to the audience, Ethel musicians talk to them between pieces.

"It's important to acknowledge how important the audience is," Dufallo said. "Every concert is a totally unique experience that will never happen in the same way ever again."

Simply put, modern ensemble music is evolving. You will find plenty of examples of how at the Festival of New American Music, which launches Thursday at CSUS' Capistrano Hall.

Like Ethel, many of the performers hail from New York City, including the Meridian Arts Ensemble, whose lineup calls for five brass players and one percussionist, and new-music specialist and pianist Marilyn Nonken, (see box for festival highlights). Local ensembles will include the musically adventurous ensembles Citywater and the Empyrean Ensemble.

"They're part of a new movement of string ensembles pursuing more diversity of audience and programming," said festival co-director Stephen Blumberg. Along with co-director Keith Bohm, Blumberg is always excited about bringing ever-more-adventurous acts to the festival.

"In terms of ensembles like Kronos and the Turtle Island string quartets who have pushed the envelope, I think Ethel is pushing the envelope the furthest," Blumberg said.

The quartet will perform a provocative program that includes Don Byron's "Four Thoughts on Marvin Gaye," John King's "Hardwood" and some original compositions.

The ensemble was formed in 1998 at Juilliard when violinist Dufallo, cellist Dorothy Lawson, violist Ralph Farris and violinist Mary Rowell came together to perform "Hardwood," a potent and unsentimental work for string quartet.

"Back then, we were searching for something new and something different, and a different approach and way of looking at things," said Dufallo.

This was not exactly the daily concern at Juilliard, said Dufallo. At the time, new music and genre-crashing by string quartets were not welcome.

Since that time, Ethel has continued to explore new ways to shift chamber music into the contemporary experience. For instance, Dufallo and his ensemble mates are introducing high school composers from the Navajo and the Hopi nations to their world as part of the Grand Canyon Music Festival and its Native American Composers Apprenticeship Project.

"The music that the students compose is a very interesting mix of extremely old Native American melodies and rhythms that they mix with music that these kids in that part of the world are into, which is heavy metal," Dufallo said.

Blumberg believes that Ethel, and the other maverick ensembles and musicians performing this year, exemplify how the festival likes to showcase what is new and cutting-edge in classical music.

Ultimately, Blumberg concedes that the audience for such music is not large. However, it is extremely loyal.

"New music is always a hard sell, but there are people out there that are really interested in this kind of music, he said. "And I think there are also many people out there who would really love this kind of music – they just don't know it yet."

Call Bee arts critic Edward Ortiz, (916) 321-1071.