finetune artist: Kronos Quartet

David Harrington (first violin), John Sherba (second violin), Joan Jeanrenaud (cello) and Hank Dutt (viola) formed the San Francisco, California, USA-based Kronos Quartet in 1973. Although classically trained, all of the members had catholic musical upbringings and felt that the gap between classical and popular music was becoming increasingly irrelevant. Led by the charismatic Harrington, whose idols are Bessie Smith and Beethoven, they crossed musical barriers by performing chamber music with the spirit and energy of rock, and refused to dress in the formal garb of the classical establishment. They also established a unique musical identity in several ways: by commissioning new works for the group by modern composers (Philip Glass, Terry Riley, Alfred Schnittke and John Zorn); by working with musicians from other cultures, notably on the 1992 release Pieces Of Africa, where every cut is written by African musicians; by transforming popular music (Jimi Hendrix, Willie Dixon, Ornette Coleman) into string quartet arrangements. Their weekly US Public Radio show, Radio Kronos, ensured that they reached the widest possible audience on a regular basis. Jeanrenaud was replaced by cellist Jennifer Culp in 1999 and Jeffrey Zeigler then replaced Culp in 2005.

Listen to Kronos Quartet at Finetune.

(2008) The Cusp of Magic
(2008) Alfred Schnittke
(2007) Henryk Gorecki: String Quartet No. 3
(2007) Plays Sigur RÃ³s
(2005) Howl, U.S.A.
(2005) U.S. Highball
(2005) Piazzolla / Five Tango Sensations
(2005) Music by Sculthorpe, Sallinen, Glass, Nancarrow, Hendrix
(2005) Lutoslawski String Quartet
(2005) Kronos Caravan
(2005) Volans - Hunting: Gathering
(2005) Morton Feldman: Piano and String Quartet
(2005) Kronos Quartet Performs Philip Glass
(2005) Liszt / Berg / Webern
(2005) Black Angels
(2005) Released 1985-1995 / Unreleased
(2005) Monk Suite: Kronos Quartet Plays the Music of Thelonious Monk with Special Guest Ron Carter
(2005) Music of Bill Evans with Special Guests Eddie Gomez & Jim Hall
(2005) Mugam Sayagi, Music of Franghiz Ali-Zadeh
(2005) Osvaldo Golijov: The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind
(2005) Alfred Schnittke
(2005) Lyric Suite
(2005) Fourth String Quartet
(2004) Terry Riley: Requiem for Adam
(2004) Pieces of Africa
(2004) Winter Was Hard
(2004) Howl, U.S.A.
(2004) Short Stories
(2004) White Man Sleeps
(2002) Nortec Collective "El Sinaloense" Remixes
(1998) Alfred Schnittke
(1997) Early Music
(1997) Early Music
(1994) Night Prayers
(1993) Liszt / Berg / Webern
(1992) Pieces of Africa
(1990) Black Angels
(1989) Salome Dances for Peace
(1987) White Man Sleeps

Five Tango Sensations: Asleep - Dreaming
Hendrix: Purple Haze
Five Tango Sensations: Anxiety
String Quartet No. 5: I.
Wawshishijay ("Our Beginning")