NIU’s Vermeer Quartet, a faculty-run classical music group, earned its third Grammy nomination.

The group was nominated in the Best Chamber Music Performance category. The nomination is for “Bartók: Complete String Quartets.” Bartók was a composer in the early 20th century.

Although this is the Vermeer’s third nomination, the honor of being nominated has not dimmed.

“It is not quite as exciting the third time around, but the recognition is still an honor,” said Marc Johnson, cellist for the Quartet and also instructor of cello and chamber music.

The Quartet’s only focus is classical music. They do not cross over to other genres of music.

Although Richard Young, violist for the Quartet and professor of viola and chamber music, composes music in his spare time, Quartet members do not write any of their own songs.

Instead, they stick to the standards such as Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Handel and Haydn.

The Quartet has also traveled and played in Europe, Asia, South America and Australia.

“My absolute favorite place to play is anywhere in Italy,” Young said,

Some members prefer to stay closer to home.

“My favorite place to play is here at NIU,” Johnson said. “I enjoy looking out at the crowd and seeing my students and seeing my friends.”

The Quartet has never won a Grammy. Its first nomination was in 1994 for Haydn’s “The Seven Last Words of Christ,” and its second was in 2003 for an album of piano Quintets by Russian composers Shostakovich and Schnittke.

But for the Quartet it’s not about winning. Teaching comes first for the members who simply enjoy what they do.

“They are the best teachers,” said Sarah Rusin, a graduate student.

As for actually walking on the real red carpet, most of the members are not planning on going to the ceremony. But that does not mean none of the members ever went.

“I went one of the years we were nominated with my wife and Marc [Johnson] and his wife,” Young said. “It was the best party I have ever been to.”

However amazing the Grammy party is, it does not compare to the party the Quartet has had for the past 36 years, when it was started by Shmuel Ashkenasi in 1969.

The Quartet is retiring in 2007.