Ethel, the modern quintet.

Chamber Music of the World: Ethel, Wed. Aug. 13 at North Plaza Lincoln Center, W. 65th St. (betw. B'way & Amsterdam Ave.), 212-721-6500, free.

Who is Ethel? A) Your great aunt; B) Lucy's best friend; C) The loudest woman in the history of musical theater; D) New York's hippest bunch of vibrating strings; or E) All of the above.

The answer is E.

In 1998, four too-cool-for-school string players were grouped together for a recording gig, and a musical entity was born that would change the face of chamber music in New York City. Like Lennon and McCartney, Daniel Barenboim and Jacqueline DuPre or Morton Feldman and John Cage, the ensemble went on to create a sound world that was intelligent, stylish and deftly executed.

Although the name evokes someone that Boy Scouts would help cross a road, Ralph Farris (viola), Dorothy Lawson (cello), Todd Reynolds (violin) and Mary Rowell (violin) remind us that all is not what it seems. In many ways, the name symbolizes the reclaiming of a musical formation-the string quartet-that was nearly tapped out of all its hipness. Of course, San Francisco gave birth to the Kronos Quartet three decades ago, but New York's quartet scene during the same period wrinkled.

Back to the quiz. Supposedly, the name surfaced from a line in the Oscar-winning film Shakespeare in Love, when Shakespeare is struggling with his newest work "Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter." And while this quirky origin is a genuine reflection of the four stringsters' sense of humor, the name is more loaded. Descendants of the "great aunts" (Guarneri, Juilliard, Emerson, etc.), Ethel demonstrates the camaraderie and goofiness of Ethel Mertz and the volume of Ethel Merman (they often play amplified and use extended techniques). More importantly, the group seems to exude the "There's no business like show business" attitude better than just about any "classical" outfit out there. After all, colorful pants always outshine the black-on-black look.

Fortunately, Ethel's style is more defined by their repertoire than their appearance-in other words, they're not Bond. They are self-proclaimed champions of the "unheard of" as selected with sophisticated ears and impeccable taste: John Zorn, Mark Wood, David Lang, Michael Montes, John Mackey. Reynolds and Farris double as composers themselves. These names are not so obscure to new music connoisseurs, and if Ethel has its way, they'll one day be known in every household in America (or at least New York).

The compositions are tied up into neat, often thematic, programs that place the new works in context. Ethel are also skilled improvisors and often bridge pieces together with some extemporaneous fiddling in new sonic territory, stitching the program into an uninterrupted journey. These impromptu creations, often moments of clarity, demonstrate both the psychological intimacy that these players have with one another and their gender-bending versatility.

Their collaborations with filmmakers and other groundbreaking musicians (like clarinetist Evan Ziporyn and the punk/jazz group GutBucket) have helped to redefine the potential of this well-worn instrumental combination. This Wednesday, Ethel takes it outside as part of the Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival, where they will be playing some of their "greatest hits" by John King, Julia Wolfe, Marcelo Zarvos, Phil Kline, Ziporyn, Reynolds and Farris. Be there or be square.