A farewell to two master musicians

The Tokyo String Quartet is getting ready to say goodbye to two of the legendary ensemble's players.

The two longest-playing members of the Tokyo String Quartet are about to depart after decades with the ensemble. Before that happens, the Broad Stage of Santa Monica is offering an opportunity to hear the current lineup, world-renowned for their precision and prowess.

Violist Kazuhide Isomura is the last remaining original member of the quartet, founded in 1969 at the Juilliard School of Music. He and second violinist Kikeui Ikeda, who joined in 1974, have announced that they will retire in 2013. Since they joined the quartet, it has performed thousands of concerts, guest-starred on Sesame Street, released dozens of recordings and become the quartet-in-residence at the Yale School of Music.

This Saturday, March 3, at 4 p.m., the group will perform a program of Haydn, Grieg and Debussy on the so-called Paganini Quartet—Stradivarius instruments named after the 19th century virtuoso who once owned them. Tickets to the concert range from $32 to $75, and are available online or by calling (310) 434-3200. Directions to the Broad Stage are available on the website.

Posted 2/29/12