Kronos Quartet
Programme
Michael Gordon: Clouded Yellow
Sofia Gubaidulina: Quartet No. 4
Komitas: Groung
Laurie Anderson: Flow
Nicole Lizée: Death to Kosmische
Tanburi Cemil Bey: Eviç Taksim
Aruna Narayan: Mishra Pilu
Terry Riley: One Earth, One People, One Love from Sun Rings
The world-renowned Kronos Quartet celebrates its 50th anniversary on the music scene. Five decades of pushing the boundaries of what a string ensemble can be, five decades of relentless exploration of new musical horizons and breaking down barriers between genres. Kronos Quartet has established itself as one of the most influential formations in the music world, having played thousands of concerts, won three Grammy Awards and collaborated with David Bowie, Björk, Laurie Anderson or Nine Inch Nails. Kronos Quartet strings have also been featured in cult films and TV shows such as Requiem for a Dream, The Great Beauty or The Young Pope.
The quartet emphasizes long-term collaboration with the world's leading composers. Notable is the connection with minimalists, whose work has been brought into the awareness of a wider audience thanks to Kronos. One of the quartet's long-standing and frequent collaborators is Terry Riley, and their collaboration with Steve Reich, Phillip Glass and Arvo Pärt has also been significant. Fifty commissioned works by composers from around the world have been made available free of charge by the Kronos Quartet as part of their recently completed monumental 50 for the Future project. A part of the works will be presented live in Prague on May 10 during the quartet's anniversary world tour. Through this initiative, Kronos wants to motivate young and aspiring artists to interpret and play contemporary music.