The Escher String Quartet rises to world’s elite chamber music groups.

Aaron Boyd is well aware that there are hundreds of fine string quartets circulating the country. But he believes that only differentiates his group.

“What distinguishes Escher is our collective sound and the strength of the individual personality,” says the second-generation Escher violinist.

About 10 years ago, ESQ began modestly at the Manhattan School of Music, almost like an after-hours extracurricular club for chamber music fanatics.

“The idea was to enjoy and study chamber music,” Boyd says. “The group realized quickly that it had the potential to make a serious go at it.”

Just two years in, the quartet was selected by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center to join the Chamber Music Society Two Ensemble, one of the most prestigious and selective processes in the country for classical music.

“For a group that young, it was unprecedented, not only for its collective age but also the amount of time they had been together,” Boyd says. “That opened many doors and continues to open doors.”

Along with Boyd, the current incarnation of ESQ features founding members Adam Barnett-Hart (first violin) and Pierre Lapointe (viola) and the group’s most recent addition, Dane Johansen (cello).

Before heading to Israel, they make a few stops in California, including tonight and tomorrow in Carmel. Boyd says the quartet began planning its current season’s program – featuring Haydn and Shostakovich – over a year and a half ago.

“We want to offer music that’s thrilling and interesting to us, but also not too esoteric or something that makes audience members feel uninvolved,” Boyd says. “It’s a balancing act.”

ESCHER STRING QUARTET 7pm Thursday, Nov. 13. Carmel High School’s Center for Performing Arts, 3600 Ocean Ave., Carmel. Free. 624-1821. 8pm Friday, Nov. 14. Sunset Center, San Carlos and Ninth, Carmel. $31-$48; $15/students. www.sunsetcenter.org