Reynolds said that he and the others in the Muir enjoy playing Tower's music. "She is a wonderful composer," he said, "very creative." And unlike so many other of today's composers, Tower's music is easily identifiable. "She has her own stab on what she writes. You can recognize her music immediately."

For most of her career as a composer, Tower has been refreshingly original. She's never been one to follow current trends, although she admits that she was an avowed serialist when she started composing. "I was a serial composer for about 10 years when I was young. It was only after that, that I found my own voice."

At next week's concert, Tower will share the spotlight with two other composers noted for their contributions to the chamber-music repertoire — Haydn and Brahms.

The concert will open with Haydn's Quartet in G minor, op. 20, no. 3. Reynolds said that the Muir has never fully explored the six quartets that make up op. 20. "We've dipped in and out of them, but we've never seriously played them."

This, despite the fact that Reynolds considers op. 20 to be among Haydn's finest quartets. "There's a great deal of experimentation in them, and stylistically, he's bursting into bloom."

The Muir is making up for this lack of attention to the op. 20 set, Reynolds said. "We're looking forward to doing a Haydn retrospective this year. We'll be doing four of them during the course of the year."

The Brahms on the program is the Quartet in B flat major, op. 67. "This is a very thorny piece," Reynolds said. "It's the most difficult of his quartets but also the best written. And I think it was his favorite among his quartets."

Reynolds said that the Muir hasn't played any of the Brahms quartets on tour in a number of years. "It'll be nice getting back to them again."

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If you go. . .

What: Muir String Quartet

Where: St. Mary's Catholic Church, U-224 at White Pine Canyon Rd., Park City

When: Thursday, 7:30 p.m.

How much: $12-$15 general, $10 student ($5 shuttle bus from Salt Lake City)

Phone: 355-2787 or 1-888-451-2787

Web: www.deervalleymusicfestival.org

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E-mail: ereichel@desnews.com