The DaPonte String Quartet was named best music group in Maine by the readers of Down East Magazine in its 2014 Readers Choice poll.

“To be included in this list means that you truly are part of what makes Maine great,” Down East Editor in Chief Kathleen Fleury said. “It really is an honor.”

Dan Levine, of Brunswick, long-time board member of the Friends of DaPonte String Quartet, attributes the award to the quality and range of music the Quartet play. But he adds that they also have great geographic range and depth. For 22 years the Quartet has played venues in some of the most far-flung corners of the state, performing over 40 concerts a year, year-round.

“We really are the most active chamber music group in the state,” Levine said. “In the last few years we’ve expanded our playing area from two to seven counties,” adding venues in Western and southern Maine.

The DaPonte String Quartet came to Maine from Philadelphia 22 years ago on a Chamber Music America/NEA rural residency grant. They fell in love with the state, and decided to stay — not in the cities but in the rural areas they loved so much. The New York Times, describing the experience of hearing the Quartet perform in some tiny rural church, compared it to “having the Boston Celtics playing in your local gym.”

“What’s so striking about the vote,” DaPonte violist Kirsten Monke (of Harpswell) said, “is that it was not just for best chamber music group, or best classical music group, but best musical group, period. It says a lot about Mainers that they chose a string quartet over, say, a rock band, or musical theater, a symphony orchestra or opera — all of which Maine has in abundance.”

“They sent us into a rural area — we chose Maine — and unlike most groups who got those grants,” said violinist Ferdinand Liva, of Topsham. “We decided to stay and really ‘embed’ ourselves in the community.”

The award comes at an interesting time, because the Quartet has recently decided to increase the amount of touring it does outside of the state.

“We’re not leaving Maine,” Liva said, “but we’re ready to do more touring in the U.S. and internationally.”

The Quartet is also working with world-renowned music legend Bob Ludwig, of Gateway Mastering, to record their next CD. Based in Portland, Ludwig took home four Grammys at the 2014 ceremony for his work with such recording stars as the Rolling Stones and Daft Punk. He and the Quartet are half-way through recording Beethoven’s Op. 132 and Mendelssohn’s Op. 13. And where are they recording this CD?

“At the Head Tide Church in Alna,” said Liva with a smile. “It has fabulous acoustics.”

The Quartet is performing at 7:30 on July 22 at Centennial Hall in Harpswell, July 24 at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay, and August 20 and 25 at the Olin Arts Center at Bates College. More information and tickets at www.daponte.org or 207-529-4555.