UAE Debut
KRONOS QUARTET
music
September 16 & 17, 2015
The Black Box
Past Event
The most adventurous and accomplished small ensemble in the Western world, Kronos has redefined the realm of possibility for the string quartet.
Kronos’ omnivorous approach to repertoire embraces 20th-century masters and contemporary composers, jazz legends and rock gods, world musicians and maverick experimentalists of every stripe. Now working into its fifth decade, Kronos is building on its celebrated legacy of innovation and mentorship, continuing to chart a bold musical path and inspire generations of fellow musicians. The ensemble will present three unique programs over two nights in its Gulf debut, including the world premiere of the first new work written as part of its ambitious Fifty For the Future initiative.
These performances will feature a special guest appearance by Malian composer and balafonist Fodé Lassana Diabaté, presenting the world premiere of the first Fifty for the Future comission.
GOOD MEDICINE
Works from Central Asia and the Middle East are featured in this program that includes the world premiere of a work by Malian composer Fodé Lassana Diabaté. Also included is music by American composer Terry Riley.
HOLD ME, NEIGHBOR
Kronos explores music of Turkey, Greece, Ethiopia and Iran, culminating in composer Aleksandra Vrebalov’s …hold me, neighbor, in this storm…, which juxtaposes sounds from the many cultures in her native Serbia.
ONE EARTH, ONE PEOPLE, ONE LOVE
Musical journeys into Iran’s carpetweaving community and war-stricken Beirut conclude Kronos’ residency, in this two-part program which includes world premieres by Fode Lassana Diabate and Wu Man, composed for Kronos’ Fifty for the Future project.
There is no more adventurous quartet on the planet than Kronos.
—The West Australian
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
For more than 40 years, the Kronos Quartet—David Harrington, John Sherba (violins), Hank Dutt (viola), and Sunny Yang (cello)—has pursued a singular artistic vision, combining a spirit of fearless exploration with a commitment to continually re-imagining the string quartet experience. In the process, Kronos has become one of the most celebrated and influential groups of our time, performing thousands of concerts worldwide, releasing more than 50 recordings of extraordinary breadth and creativity, collaborating with many of the world’s most intriguing and accomplished composers and performers, and commissioning more than 850 works and arrangements for string quartet. In 2011, Kronos became the only recipients of both the Polar Music Prize and the Avery Fisher Prize, two of the most prestigious awards given to musicians. The group’s numerous awards also include a Grammy for Best Chamber Music Performance (2004) and “Musicians of the Year” (2003) from Musical America.
Boisterously breaking down nearly every conceivable genre barrier that ever existed for the string quartet, this audacious ensemble has changed our perception of not just what a string quartet can be, but what music can be in the 21st century global village.
— Musical America
What’s David Harrington Listening To?
A listening party with Kronos Quartet’s David Harrington featuring an eclectic selection of recordings, providing insight into his creative process and the expansive world of sounds that provide inspiration.
Monday, Sept 14 at 8pm in the Marketplace at NYU Abu Dhabi Campus Center. No tickets needed.
The Kronos Learning Repertoire
NYUAD Arts Center is proud to join Carnegie Hall and an adventurous list of legacy partners on an ambitious multi-year initiative by Kronos Quartet/Kronos Performing Arts Association (KPAA), the San Francisco-based non-profit organization of the Kronos Quartet. Fifty for the Future is a string quartet commissioning, performance, education, and legacy project of unprecedented scope and potential impact. Drawing on more than forty years of collaboration with prominent and emerging composers from around the world, Kronos will commission a library of fifty works designed to guide young amateur and early-career professional string quartets in developing and honing the skills required for the performance of 21st-century repertoire. Each of the fifty works will be a brief yet artistically complete composition that will be premiered by Kronos, with the entire Fifty for the Future body of work becoming a core component of their own repertoire over five performance seasons (2015/2016 through 2019/2020). Digital versions of the scores and parts, recordings, and other pedagogical materials for each work will be made available worldwide at no charge via the internet.
Fifty for the Future is a program of the Kronos Performing Arts Association and is made possible by generous support from an adventurous group of partners, including Carnegie Hall, The Arts Center at New York University Abu Dhabi and many others.