Synonymous
with musical innovation, the Kronos Quartet is known for its unique
artistic vision and fearless dedication to experimentation. Since its
inception in 1973, Kronos has assembled a body of work unparalleled in
its range and scope of expression, and in the process, has captured the
attention of audiences worldwide.
Kronos has been commissioning new work since its
earliest days, and more than 450 pieces have been written or arranged
for the group. The Quartet's extensive repertoire ranges from Alban
Berg, Alfred Schnittke, George Crumb, Sofia Gubaidulina and Morton
Feldman to Hildegard von Bingen, Charles Mingus, Astor Piazzolla, Harry
Partch and Carlos Paredes. In addition to ongoing creative relationships
with composers such as Terry Riley, Franghiz Ali-Zadeh and Osvaldo
Golijov, Kronos has collaborated with countless artists, including Dawn
Upshaw, Foday Musa Suso, Wu Man, Cafe Tacuba, Zakir Hussain, Allen
Ginsberg, Throat Singers of Tuva, Burhan Ocal, Eiko and Koma, Pandit
Pran Nath, Don Walser, Hamza El Din and the Taraf de Haidouks. Kronos
has recently premiered, or will soon premiere, works written for the
group by Ellen Fullman, Philip Glass, Michael Gordon, Guo Wenjing,
Melissa Hui, Willem Jeths, John King, David Lang, Matmos, Helmut
Oehring, Gabriela Ortiz, P.Q. Phan, Stephen Prutsman, Steve Reich,
Peteris Vasks, Aleksandra Vrebalov and Julia Wolfe.
Kronos performs annually in many cities and tours
extensively with more than 100 concerts each year in concert halls,
clubs and at jazz festivals throughout the United States, Canada,
Europe, Japan, Mexico, South America, Russia, Asia and Australia. Recent
tours have included appearances at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the
Kennedy Center, University of Iowa's Hancher Auditorium, Brooklyn
Academy of Music's Next Wave Festival, Moscow's Conservatory of Music,
Prague Spring International Music Festival, Sydney Opera House, Southern
California's Eclectic Orange Festival, London's Royal Festival Hall,
Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, La Scala, Theatre de la Ville in Paris
and Vancouver's Chan Centre.
Kronos has won numerous international awards,
including three Edison Awards (Netherlands), Jahrespreis der Deutschen
Schallplattenkritik (Germany), Rolf Schock Prize in Music (Sweden),
eight ASCAP/Chamber Music America Awards for Adventurous Programming
(United States), Australian Broadcasting Company Classic FM Best
International Recording of the Year (Australia), Le Diapason d'Or de Mai
(France), and others.
The Quartet records exclusively for Nonesuch Records
(click here for complete catalog), and the group's recorded performances
have been heard throughout the world on radio and television, in films,
and in live dance and theater performances. . Of the nearly 30 records
released on Nonesuch, six have been Grammy nominees: Kronos Quartet
plays Alfred Schnittke: The Complete String Quartets (1998), which
received nominations for Best Classical Album and Best Chamber Music
Performance; Early Music (Lachrymae Antiquae) (1997), Black Angels
(1990), and White Man Sleeps (1987), which received nominations for Best
Chamber Music Performance; Salome Dances For Peace (1989), for which
composer Terry Riley received a nomination for Best Classical
Contemporary Composition; and Different Trains (1989), which earned
composer Steve Reich a Grammy for Best Classical Contemporary
Composition.