KRONOS QUARTET

Biography

Kronos Quartet is one of the most celebrated and influential ensembles on the international music scene.
For more than 50 years, the San Francisco-based quartet has revolutionised the language of the string quartet, expanding its repertoire and boundaries through thousands of concerts, more than 70 recordings, and collaborations with some of the most important contemporary composers and artists.
Through its non-profit organisation, the Kronos Performing Arts Association (KPAA), Kronos has commissioned more than 1,100 works and arrangements for string quartet, making a significant contribution to the development and dissemination of contemporary music. Among these initiatives is Kronos Fifty for the Future, a repertoire library for educational purposes, recently completed.
Its many accolades include three Grammy Awards and the Polar Music Prize.
Kronos has collaborated with artists including Steve Reich, Philip Glass and Terry Riley, and has performed live with the likes of Paul McCartney, Allen Ginsberg, Rokia Traoré, David Bowie, Rhiannon Giddens, Caetano Veloso and The National.
The quartet has also appeared on recordings by artists such as Nine Inch Nails, Dan Zanes and Angélique Kidjo.
In the field of dance, Kronos has collaborated with renowned choreographers including Merce Cunningham, Twyla Tharp and Alonzo King, among many others who have created works set to Kronos's music.