RARE U.S. APPEARANCE: Princeton University Concerts hosts the Hagen String Quartet, which is based in Austria, at Richardson Auditorium on March 7 at 7:30 p.m.

The Hagen String Quartet will return to Princeton University Concerts (PUC) on Thursday, March 7, at 7:30 p.m. at Richardson Auditorium. This Salzburg-based quartet, which is celebrating its 43rd anniversary this year, rarely tours to the United States, and will return to PUC for the first time since 2017.

Their program includes infrequently performed works: Joseph Haydn’s Quartet in D Minor, Op. 76, No. 2 “Fifths,” Claude Debussy’s Quartet in G Minor, Op. 10, and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp Minor, Op. 131.

For over four decades, the Hagen has performed throughout the world and amassed a discography of nearly 50 recordings. The ensemble celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2021. Previous seasons featured performances in the world’s major music capitals, including London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Tokyo. Recent highlights in the U.S. include a complete Beethoven cycle at the 92nd Street Y in New York; a Brahms program together with the pianist Kirill Gerstein at Duke University; and concerts in Boston, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Montreal, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington D.C.

“The Hagen String Quartet is one of the most venerated quartets of our time,” said PUC Director Marna Seltzer. “Founded by four sibling musicians — three of whom remain with the ensemble — they embody the intimacy of chamber music. That tight-knit sensibility combined with the extraordinarily high standard that they have consistently set throughout their storied career harkens to another era of ensemble playing, and it is a joy to be able to indulge in that once more.”

Visit puc.princeton.edu for information.