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For four years the Crowden Music Center has brought some of the Bay Area’s finest chamber musicians to Berkeley as part of its Sundays at Four concert series. This weekend, the center is hosting the Empyrean Ensemble, a professional contemporary music ensemble in residence at the University of California, Davis. 

“We are trying to take the daunting out of classical music concerts,” said Ben Simon, who founded the family-friendly series four years ago. “This year started to catch a younger audience, and we’re trying to accommodate a younger audience, which is what classical music really needs. And we’re having a lot of fun with it.” 

The Empyrean Ensemble, formed in 1988, is bringing five of its members to the Crowden School’s Great Hall on Sunday. Its founder, the composer Ross Bauer, is also the parent of a Crowden student. 

“We talked several years ago about what an exciting thing it would be for our audience,” said Simon. “The group is flexible. They will be geared for a young audience, playing very listenable contemporary music.” The instruments for the afternoon will include clarinets, violins, viola , piano and a prepared piano -- wood screws, erasers and paper are used to change the string’s temper. 

The performance, the seventh this year, will last about an hour — a length, Simon said, that is perfect for families. The ensemble will play contemporary chamber music, written within the last 25 years. 

The Crowden Music Center incorporates the Crowden School, a private middle school with intensive music training in addition to a full academic schedule. The music center offers after-school and weekend music and art classes for students of all ages.  

“The performances are probably the best bargain in the Bay Area when it comes to professional musicians,” said Deborah Berman, executive director of The Crowden School. “And aside from that, it is in a warm, intimate atmosphere, which is where chamber music is supposed to be played.” 

All the musicians who participate in the Sunday series play for free. Money from ticket sales goes toward Crowden scholarship students and the music program. 

“We already do give scholarships, but we don’t ever have enough,” Berman said. “That is something we are working very hard on now and this concert series helps.” 

Following this week’s performance, a concert June 1 finishes off the series until next fall. In the finale, a repeat from last year, the Crowden faculty will take to the stage to perform masterpieces from the chamber music repertoire.  

“I round up as many of the Crowden professional music faculty as I can,” Simon said. “We have some wonderful artists at the Crowden School and lovely talent. This is a chance for them to shine and for our community to see the quality of the teachers at the school, and it is really just a lot of fun, the end of the season, final run.” 

The Empyrean Ensemble plays this Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Crowden Music Center’s Great Hall in North Berkeley. Tickets cost $10 for adults, and those 18 and under get in for free. Visit the Web site at: www.thecrowdenschool.org.