Kronos Quartet: Five Decades

Celebrate the legacy and impact of one of the most celebrated and influential groups of our time.

To celebrate five decades of sound, Kronos will perform a carefully curated selection of its work, spanning brand new works and signature pieces from composers around the world. The 50th anniversary season marks the debut of Kronos Quartet’s recently appointed cellist Paul Wiancko, performing alongside founder and violinist David Harrington, and longtime members John Sherba (violin) and Hank Dutt (viola).

For 50 years, San Francisco’s Kronos Quartet has pursued a singular artistic vision, combining a spirit of fearless exploration with a commitment to continually reimagine the string quartet experience. They have performed thousands of concerts worldwide, releasing more than 60 recordings of extraordinary breadth and creativity, collaborating with many of the world’s most accomplished composers and performers, and commissioning more than 1,000 works and arrangements for string quartet. Kronos has received over 40 awards, including the Polar Music, Avery Fisher, and Edison Klassiek Oeuvre Prizes, some of the most prestigious awards given to musicians.

“The Kronos Quartet has broken the boundaries of what string quartets do.” (The New York Times)   

Program:

George Crumb: Black Angels +

Aleksandra Vrebalov: ilektrikés rímes * (Canadian premiere)

Steve Reich: Triple Quartet * (Toronto premiere)

Peni Candra Rini: Movement I from Segara Gunung * (arr. Jacob Garchik & Andy McGraw) (Ontario premiere)

Sun Ra, Terry Riley & Sara Miyamoto: Kiss Yo’ Ass Goodbye * (arr. Paul Wiancko) (Canadian premiere)

Nicole Lizée: ZonelyHearts * (Ontario premiere)

* Written for Kronos

+ Laurence Neff, lighting & stage designer; Brian Mohr, sound designer; Calvin Ll. Jones, technical director