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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 Alexandra du Bois, Michael Gordon, Guo Wenjing,
Martyn Jaques, Willem Jeths, Keeril Makan, Vladimir Martynov, Matmos,
Helmut Oehring, Stephen Prutsman, 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, Ravinia
Festival, Carnegie Hall, University of Arizona's Centennial Hall,
Brooklyn Academy of Music's Next Wave Festival, UCLA's Royce Hall,
Moscow's Conservatory of Music, Prague Spring International Music
Festival, Sydney Opera House, Southern California's Eclectic Orange
Festival, London's Barbican, Teatro Colon 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
Prizes (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 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, seven have been Grammy
nominees: Nuevo (2002), which received a Latin Grammy nomination
for Best Classical Album and a Grammy nomination for Best Classical
Crossover Album; 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.
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