The Chiara String quartet will perform at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Lied Center. Call 864-2787 for more information.

The Chiara String Quartet says classical music doesn’t have to be limited to concert hall stages.

That’s why the quartet often plays gigs at nonclassical venues, such as bars and clubs. It made one such appearance here Tuesday at the Eldridge Hotel.

The four members – Rebecca Fischer and Julie Yoon on violin, Jonah Sirota on viola and Gregory Beaver on cello – strive to balance their repertoire between contemporary works and more established pieces.

The quartet will bring a multicultural performance to the Lied Center at 7:30 p.m. Friday. “Mestizaje: Harmony of Differences” will include works by Gabriela Lena Frank, Bela Bartók, Zhou Long and Osvaldo Golijov. Tickets are $28 for adults and $14 for children and KU students, available by calling 864-2787.

The quartet has an ongoing artist residency at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. It also will start a residency program at Harvard University this fall. It has been honored by Chamber Music America, the Paolo Borciani International Competition and the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition.

The quartet draws its name from an Italian word meaning clear, pure or light. For more information, visit www.chiaraquartet.net.