In 1980, four women seeking a name for the Brandeis' new string quartet sought the perfect musical term to describe the ensemble's dynamic. As it turned out, the term they chose-"Lydian"-fit like a glove. While now known as the modern major scale, the Lydian mode of ancient Greece represented tones that were equidistant from each other, with no more emphasis on one than another.

Twenty-five years later, two members of the quartet have changed, but the main ideal stays constant: four professional musicians equidistant from each other in their relationship and leadership.

As the Lydian String Quartet, Profs. Daniel Stepner, Joshua Gordon, Mary Ruth Ray and Judy Eissenberg (MUS) never compete to lead the group. In rehearsal, each member listens acutely to the others, asking to replay a part, critiquing themselves and each other, and always recognizing that a piece is never perfect.

"In rehearsal, we like to try out everyone's point of view and come to a consensus of what we think the music is trying to express," said Gordon, the quartet's cellist.

Since its founding, the group's careful precision, coupled with its appreciation of both classical and contemporary works and composers, has brought the Lydian String Quartet-composed of four professional artists-in-residence-critical acclaim and international recognition.

But the members are concerned about classical music's role amid contemporary genres.

"Classical music is important; it's the basis of many musical styles such as jazz and even rock," said Stepner, one of the group's violinists.

According to Eissenberg, the other violinist, classical concerts are treated too often as "nice background music," and the genre needs to be more accessible and exciting to unfamiliar audiences.

"If there's no drama, there is no context. The audience needs to go to the time it was written," Eissenberg said. "This can be accomplished with a pre-concert lecture or by reinterpreting the tempo and dynamics of the piece. Then people notice."

The last ten years, in particular, have stressed the quartet's innovative ambitions, as well as its commitment to tracing the classical genre's influence on contemporary music. Their current five-year project, "Vienna and the String Quartet," explores the Viennese phenomenon through two centuries of classical music and juxtaposes these works with more recent American works for string quartets. This season marks its final year.

The Lydians' previous project, "American Originals," celebrated the heritage of 20th century American string quartets. During this five-year period, they performed and recorded over 60 pieces by American composers-some commissioned exclusively for the Quartet-in hopes of stressing classical music's enduring relevance.

The group's prominence within Brandeis' artistic community is undeniable. They rehearse five days a week in preparation for performances in Slosberg Music Hall, Goldfarb Library and world-renowned venues such as the Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center. Their repertoire has included works by Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert and a large range of contemporary composers. They received the prestigious Naumberg Award for Chamber Music in 1984.

This professionalism, infused with an unexpectedly informal attitude, was evident during a rehearsal last week. Practicing Anton Von Webern's "Early String Quartet" (1905), the musicians deconstructed each measure, carefully analyzing their individual parts down to the most minute detail. But each criticism was delivered with a smile, their interactions more characteristic of lifelong friends than professional musicians.

"It is very different from other jobs," Stepner said. "Four people sit in a room looking at each other trying to agree on something."

The Lydian String Quartet was founded in 1980 by Robert Koff, a Brandeis music professor who coached the ensemble. Koff had been a second violinist at Juilliard and "it had been a dream of his to start a quartet he could nourish," said Ray, who plays viola. Koff passed away this February.

Koff was a strong mentor to all the original Lydians, according to Eissenberg, and taught them life lessons as he helped them perfect their skills.

But he also expressed the importance of relaxation. Once, when the group had been practicing for many stressful hours in preparation for an important concert, "[Koff] handed us a bottle of scotch saying, 'This is what you need today,'" Eissenberg recalled.

Ray and Eissenberg, original members of the quartet, both grew up in Tennessee and have known each other since attending the same summer music camp as children. They maintained their friendship through college, and auditioned for the quartet soon after graduating.

Stepner joined the quartet in 1987 after violinist Wilma Smith left the group to return home to New Zealand.

Gordon was invited to audition for the quartet in 2002. He immediately researched the Lydians at the New York Public Library.

"I discovered some really interesting recordings," Gordon said. "I loved their adventurousness in what they chose to record."

The Lydians all teach in the Music department and participate in other programs within the Brandeis community. Ray is the department chair, and Eissenberg, with the assistance of the other members, teaches the class "Inside the Piece: Chamber Music from the Player's Perspective" for undergraduate and graduate students.

In 2003, Eissenberg also started a program named MusicUnitesUs, which brings a number of world music ensembles to campus. MusicUnitesUS also hosts programs for local children featuring the quartet and other musicians.

The Lydian String Quartet is also responsible for coaching the Student Ensemble in Residence program, which consists of students-a trio of juniors and a duo of sophomores-on scholarship to play in a chamber group for the duration of their time at Brandeis.

Whether in the classroom, the concert hall, or the recording studio, the Lydians combine a friendly attitude with a respect for chamber music and string quartets as art forms.

"We try to share what a rich cultural legacy has been handed down to the string quartet, one of the most challenging forms of music to write for," Gordon said.