The opening piece for the night’s performance was Alvin Lucier’s “Group Tapper.” Lucier is known for his experimental music and sound installations, and the aforementioned piece was recently released in 2006. “Group Tapper” was filled with taps from all four instruments (the musicians were standing at different areas to amplify the vibrations), which reverberated throughout the Biotech Center. The rhythmic tapping ceased after a few minutes, only to be replaced by a sound of applause. Afterward, the ensemble headed toward the stage to continue with their performance.

FLUX’s second act began with another contemporary composer’s work, that of Matt Welch. Welch’s “Siubhal Turnlar” was a fast-paced composition, and one of the musicians had humorously commented that “it is a lot of work.” It was then followed by Anton Weber’s “6 Bagatellen,” which started with an ominous tone. The piece reminded me of one of those horror flicks where a character is in an abandoned house running from some sort of unknown shadow.

Iannis Xenakis’ “Tetora” also followed that same kind of musical tone, although it sounded more toward suspense rather than outright horror. Before the last composition was performed, FLUX decided to play another part of Weber’s “6 Bagatellen,” jokingly claiming that they’d be able to play the second one correctly. The audience laughed at this, since none of them particularly noticed whether or not the quartet did indeed make a mistake.

The last piece played was by Giacinto Scelsi, and it was titled “Quatuor N°2.” This piece specialized on music based only on one pitch, a style that Scelsi has pioneered during his time as a musician.

FLUX Quartet performs music ranging from “classics” to visionary compositions. The group was founded by violinist Tom Chiu in the ’90s as an homage to the ’60’s Fluxus art movement. Chiu is an experimental violinist who has appeared in 100 or so performances worldwide, working closely with composers Chen Yi, Dean Drummon, and Oliver Lake, among others. His original compositions have been played in many countries. He has also provided compositions that have appeared in “Boris,” a short film written and directed by Francesca Galesi.

The second violinist of FLUX is Conrad Harris, who has recorded for companies such as Asphodel, Vandenburg, and Vinyl Retentive Records. Harris has gained acclaim for his works in North America and Europe, both as a soloist and part of an ensemble. He has also performed his original compositions in places like New York’s Sonic Boom Festival, Warsaw Autumn, and Radio France.

On the viola is Max Mandel, a former member of the Metro Quartet. Studying music at the University of Toronto and the Juilliard School, Mandel has played many styles and genres of music. He has appeared at quite a number of music festivals as well as a guest appearance at the Smithsonian Institution—where he was given the privilege to play on one of the Stradivari instruments (a great honor to many musicians).

The fourth member of FLUX is Dave Eggar, the cellist and pianist. Eggar has performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall and The Barbican Center Concert Hall in London. He has also collaborated with a variety of artists such as The Who, Pearl Jam, DJ Spooky, John Medeski, and acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

FLUX’s newest project involves Morton Feldman’s “String Quartet No. 2,” which lasts more than six hours of nonstop music.