Most musical groups have a difficult time staying together for more than 20 years, but for the Emerson String Quartet, 20 years merely represents the tip of the iceberg.

“I think we would all like to stay together for a long time,” said Philip Setzer, one of the quartet’s violinists. At the same time, Setzer admits the group could feasibly break up at any time.

“Being in a quartet is like being out on the branch of a tree — it could crack,” Setzer said. “We have lots of plans, though. There are new things in the future constantly.”

While all four members were needed to get the quartet off the ground, the group was originally founded by two members.

Violinists Eugene Drucker and Setzer had the idea of starting a quartet right after they graduated from the Julliard School of Music.

“We met [at the Julliard School of Music] and became friends,” Setzer said. “We had worked together in a student quartet.”

In 1977 the quartet hired violist Lawrence Dutton and a short time later asked David Finckel to join the group. It was not until 1978 that people really knew about the quartet.

“We won the Naumburg Competition. That was our first real success that put us on the map,” Setzer said.

A real turning point came in 1981, when the quartet performed all six Bartok quartets for a 100th anniversary Bartok concert.

According to Setzer, the feat had never been heard of before and has not been done by many other groups since.

“We got a tremendous amount of publicity out of the whole thing because it worked artistically, it was not just a gimmick,” Setzer said. “It was an autobiography in music.”

In 1989 the quartet won two prestigious awards for its Bartok album. Along with the 1989 Grammy for Best Classical Album, the group also won Gramophone magazine’s Record of the Year award — two awards that had never before been taken by any other chamber music ensemble.

Lately, the quartet has been involved in its second year of special concerts at the Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall entitled “Beethoven and the Twentieth Century.”

Saturday’s Ames program will include the same repertoire as the Tully Hall performance in February. The concert will include Beethoven’s Quartet in A major, Op. 18, No. 5; Charles Ives’ Quartet No. 2 and Beethoven’s Quartet in A minor, Op. 132.

According to Setzer, the quartet believes Beethoven quartets to be some of the group’s best repertoire.

“The pinnacle of our repertoire is probably Beethoven’s five last string quartets. There is a huge amount of great music in those late quartets,” Setzer said. “Even if you’re tired of each other, you’ll never get tired of the music.”

Although the quartet spends a great deal of time with each other in the practice room, they also enjoy each other’s company in social settings.

“When we’re on tour the four of us get together in various combinations. It’s pretty rare that we’ll go out to eat by ourselves,” Setzer said.

One thing Setzer enjoys about the company of his colleagues, besides each member’s playing abilities, is their admirable character traits.

“Everybody in the group is a good person and is honest. You always know where you stand,” Setzer said. “Everybody also has a good sense of humor and that’s really important. If you can’t laugh at each other it’s the beginning of the end.”

Though it may seem that these musicians have reached the epitome of every classical musician’s dream, Setzer said he would like to get even more connected to the music he plays.

“There is always a constant striving to totally connect with the music and the composer,” Setzer said. “We’re never totally happy with what we’re doing. There is always room for improvement.”

The Ames Town and Gown Chamber Music Association will present the internationally acclaimed Emerson String Quartet as part of their 1997-1998 concert series Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Ames City Auditorium.

In collaboration with the concert, Setzer will conduct a free master class in the Music Hall Recital Hall on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Tickets for the concert are free to students and $15 for non-students. They can be picked up in advance at the Iowa State Music Department office and Reiman’s in Ames.