THE UB MUSIC Department continues three of its spring concert series in January and February with concerts featuring pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, the Amherst Saxophone Quartet and one of America's leading chamber ensembles, the Manhattan String Quartet.

The Amherst Saxophone Quartet, currently quartet-in-residence at UB, will present Concert III in the university's Resident Quartet Series on Monday, Jan. 29, at 8 p.m. in Slee Concert Hall on the North Campus.

The concert, titled "Pushing the Edges," will feature a program of contemporary compositions-"the best the ASQ has read in the last year." These include Russell Howland's Quartet No. 3 (1976), Robert Willis' Tetralogue (1990), Astor Piazzolla's Four for Tango, Bernard Hoffer's Saxophone Quartet #2 (1992) and Steve Cohen's Saxophone Quartet (1980).

Tickets are $10 (general admission) and $5 (students and seniors). For ticket information, call the Slee Concert Office, 645-2921.

Chopin and Schumann will comprise the program on Saturday, Feb. 3, when Jean-Yves Thibaudet, one of the nation's most gifted concert pianists, presents Concert IV of the Slee Visiting Artist Series Saturday, at 8 p.m. in Slee Concert Hall.

Thibaudet is a widely celebrated artist whose virtuosity and brilliant interpretive gifts have been acclaimed by critics and audiences throughout the world. His program will include three nocturnes and three etudes by Chopin, his Sonata No. 2 in b-flat minor, Op. 35, and Schumann's Etudes Symphoniques in c-sharp minor, Op. 13 with posthumous variations.

Tickets are $10 (general admission), $8 (UB community), $5 (senior citizens) and $4 (students) and can be obtained from the Slee Concert Office, 645-2921.

This year the internationally regarded Manhattan String Quartet is marking its 25th consecutive season with concerts throughout the United States and Europe. On Wednesday, Feb. 21, and Thursday, Feb. 22, the quartet will present concerts III and IV of UB's Slee Beethoven String Quartet Cycle at 8 p.m. in Slee Concert Hall .

The Feb. 21 program will feature the Quartet in D Major, Op. 18, No. 3; the Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 133 and the Quartet in F Major, Op. 59, No. 1.

The Feb. 22 program will present the Quartet in F minor, Op. 95 (Serioso); the Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 18, No. 6 and the Quartet in A minor, Op. 132.

Tickets may be obtained from the Slee Concert Office, 645-2921 for $10 (general admission), $8 (UB community), $5 (senior citizens) and $4 (students).