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Kronos Quartet

Overview
Available Recordings

Composers

Biography

Active: 1973 - ; United States

The Kronos Quartet has for years cultivated a chimeric image: is it a highbrow ensemble with pop leanings, or a crossover group with classical expertise? Yet whatever its methods and motivations may be, the Kronos Quartet has blurred musical categories for decades and attracted interest from audiences who might never have otherwise encountered a string quartet. Respected for its charisma and innovation, Kronos was founded at Mills College in 1973 Read more by violinist David Harrington. By the end of the 1970s, violinist John Sherba, violist Hank Dutt, and cellist Joan Jeanrenaud rounded out the group's original personnel. Since then, Kronos has aggressively commissioned new music, including over 450 of its repertory of 600 pieces. This unprecedented zeal for commissioning has been credited with reviving and revitalizing the otherwise stagnating medium of the string quartet.

The ensemble made a strong impression with guest appearances on recordings by Warren Benson, Dane Rudhyar, and David Grisman before cutting its own debut on the Sounds Wonderful label in 1982. Since then, Kronos has recorded over 30 albums for Nonesuch, receiving six Grammy nominations and one award for Best New Composition, (Different Trains by Steve Reich). Kronos specializes in performing modern and contemporary music, music by jazz pioneers Ornette Coleman and John Zorn, and artists as varied as Jimi Hendrix, Anton Webern, and Béla Bartók. The group has devoted entire albums to such diverse figures as Thelonious Monk (Monk Suite, 1985), Bill Evans (Music of Bill Evans, 1986), Alfred Schnittke (The Complete String Quartets, 1998), and Philip Glass (on several discs, including Dracula, 1999). For its recording of Black Angels (1990), the quartet provided spirited, effective accompaniment to a scratchy, decades-old recording of American iconoclast composer Charles Ives singing one of his own songs.

Kronos has been profiled on the television show CBS Sunday Morning, has produced its own syndicated radio program that combined interview and performance segments, and has been consistently nominated for Grammy awards.

In 1999 Jeanrenaud began a sabbatical leave, and before it was over she had resigned, no longer wishing to maintain Kronos' active travel, performance, and rehearsal schedule. Jeanrenaud was replaced by Jennifer Culp, who remained with the quartet until 2005, after which Jeffrey Zeigler joined as Kronos' cellist. Read less

Featured Kronos Quartet CDs & DVDs:

Gudmundsen-Holmgreen: Green Ground / Hillier, Kronos Quartet, Theatre of Voices

Release Date: 10/14/2016 Label: Dacapo
Catalog: 8226153 Number of Discs: 1

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1.

Shore: A Palace upon the Ruins & Selected Works / Shore, Wicki, Lang, Kronos Quartet, Et al.

Label: Howe Catalog: 1020 Release Date: 11/04/2016 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Howard Shore
Performer: Jennifer Johnson Cano, Benjamin Hutto, Clara Sanabras, Lang Lang
Conductor: Judith Clurman, Ludwig Wicki, Howard Shore
Orchestra/Ensemble: Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival, Essential Voices USA Youth Workshop, 21st Century Chamber Choir ...

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2.

Philip Glass: The Complete Sony Recordings

Label: Sony Catalog: 533761 Release Date: 10/28/2016 Number of Discs: 24
Composer: Philip Glass
Performer: Michael Riesman, Jack Kripl, Paul Zukofsky, Sheryl Woods ...
Conductor: Michael Riesman, Christopher Keene, Dennis Russell Davies, Robert Shaw ...
Orchestra/Ensemble: Philip Glass Ensemble, New York City Opera Orchestra, New York City Opera Chorus ...

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3.

Gudmundsen-Holmgreen: Green Ground / Hillier, Kronos Quartet, Theatre of Voices

Label: Dacapo Catalog: 8226153 Release Date: 10/14/2016 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgree
Orchestra/Ensemble: Kronos Quartet, Theatre of Voices
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4.

Vrebalov: The Sea Ranch Songs / Kronos Quartet

Label: Cantaloupe Catalog: 21122 Release Date: 09/30/2016 Number of Discs: 2
Composer: Aleksandra Vrebalov
Orchestra/Ensemble: Kronos Quartet
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5.

Darmstadt Aural Documents, Box 3: Ensembles

Label: Neos Catalog: 11230 Release Date: 04/15/2016 Number of Discs: 7
Composer: Hanns Jelinek, Herbert Brun, Franco Evangelisti, Iannis Xenakis ...
Performer: Roger Heaton, Fernando Grillo, Akemi Karaki, Martine Joste ...
Conductor: Bruno Maderna, Pierre Boulez, Gregg Smith, Robert HP Platz ...
Orchestra/Ensemble: Végh String Quartet, LaSalle String Quartet, Parrenin String Quartet ...

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6.

Henryk Gorecki: A Nonesuch Retrospective

Label: Nonesuch Catalog: 550588 Release Date: 01/22/2016 Number of Discs: 7
Composer: Henryk Mikolaj Górecki
Performer: Christopher Van Kampen, Michael Collins, John Constable, Dawn Upshaw ...
Conductor: Andrey Boreyko, David Zinman, John Nelson, Lucy Ding ...
Orchestra/Ensemble: London Philharmonic Orchestra, Kronos Quartet, London Sinfonietta members ...

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7.

DJ Spooky: Rebirth of a Nation / Kronos Quartet

Label: Cantaloupe Catalog: 21110 Release Date: 08/28/2015 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: DJ Spooky
Orchestra/Ensemble: Kronos Quartet

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8.

One Earth One People One Love - Kronos Plays Terry Riley

Label: Nonesuch Catalog: 548925 Release Date: 06/23/2015 Number of Discs: 5
Composer: Terry Riley
Performer: Wu Man, John Sherba, Hank Dutt, Jennifer Culp ...
Orchestra/Ensemble: Kronos Quartet

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9.

Sunrise of the Planetary Dream Collector / Kronos Quartet

Label: Nonesuch Catalog: 549523 Release Date: 06/23/2015 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Terry Riley
Performer: David Harrington, John Sherba, Joan Jeanrenaud, Hank Dutt
Orchestra/Ensemble: Kronos Quartet

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10.

Derek Charke: Tundra Songs

Label: Centrediscs Catalog: 21015 Release Date: 03/10/2015 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Derek Charke
Performer: Derek Charke, Tanya Tagaq
Orchestra/Ensemble: Kronos Quartet

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11.

Parry: Music For Heart & Breath

Label: Deutsche Grammophon Catalog: 002105802 Release Date: 07/15/2014 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Richard Reed Parry
Performer: Nico Muhly, Brian Snow, Arthur Sato, Caroline Shaw ...
Orchestra/Ensemble: Ymusic, Kronos Quartet

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12.

Red Hot + Bach

Label: Sony Catalog: 302933 Release Date: 06/17/2014 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Rob Moose and Chris Thile, Dustin O'Halloran, Mia Doi Todd, Shara Worden ...
Performer: Chris Thile
Orchestra/Ensemble: Kronos Quartet

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13.

A Thousand Thoughts / Kronos Quartet

Label: Nonesuch Catalog: 536952 Release Date: 04/08/2014 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Traditional, Blind Willie Johnson, Omar Souleyman, Getatchew Mekurya ...
Orchestra/Ensemble: Kronos Quartet

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14.

Explorer Series: Kronos Quartet

Label: Nonesuch Catalog: 536951 Release Date: 04/08/2014 Number of Discs: 5
Composer: Dumisani Maraire, Hassan Hakmoun, Foday Musa Suso, Lawrence JKS Tamusuza ...
Performer: Dumisani Maraire, Joan Jeanrenaud, Hank Dutt, John Sherba ...
Conductor: Terrence Kelly
Orchestra/Ensemble: Kronos Quartet, Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, Tuvan Singers ...

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15.

Kotche: Adventureland / Kronos Quartet, Eighth Blackbird

Label: Cantaloupe Catalog: 21098 Release Date: 03/25/2014 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Glenn Kotche
Orchestra/Ensemble: Kronos Quartet, Eighth Blackbird

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16.

Aheym / Kronos Quartet

Label: Anti Catalog: 87296 Release Date: 11/05/2013 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Bryce Dessner
Orchestra/Ensemble: Kronos Quartet, Brooklyn Youth Chorus

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17.

Uniko / Pohjonen, Kosminen, Kronos Quartet

Label: C Major Catalog: 707108 Release Date: 09/27/2011 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Kimmo Pohjonen
Performer: Kimmo Pohjonen, Samuli Kosminen
Orchestra/Ensemble: Kronos Quartet

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18.

Steve Reich: WTC 9/11 / Kronos Quartet

Label: Nonesuch Catalog: 528236 Release Date: 09/20/2011 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Steve Reich
Orchestra/Ensemble: Kronos Quartet, So Percussion, Steve Reich and Musicians
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19.

John Anthony Lennon, Sheila Silver: String Quartets

Label: Composers Recordings, Inc. (Cri) Catalog: 520 Release Date: 07/01/2011 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: John Anthony Lennon, Sheila Silver
Orchestra/Ensemble: Kronos Quartet, Atlantic String Quartet

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20.

Music Of Warren Benson

Label: Composers Recordings, Inc. (Cri) Catalog: 433 Release Date: 03/01/2011 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Warren Benson
Performer: Frederick Hemke
Orchestra/Ensemble: Kronos Quartet, Chester String Quartet, Eastman Quartet

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21.

Uniko / Samuli Kosminen, Kimmo Pohjonen, Kronos Quartet

Label: Ondine Catalog: 1185-2 Release Date: 02/22/2011 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Kimmo Pohjonen
Performer: Kimmo Pohjonen, Samuli Kosminen
Orchestra/Ensemble: Kronos Quartet
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22.

Floodplain / Kronos Quartet

Label: Nonesuch Catalog: 518349 Release Date: 05/19/2009 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Traditional, Anonymous, Ram Narayan, Said Rustamov ...
Orchestra/Ensemble: Kronos Quartet
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23.

Kronos Plays Holmgreen

Label: Dacapo Catalog: 6220548 Release Date: 10/28/2008 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgree
Performer: David Harrington, Hank Dutt, John Sherba, Jeffrey Zeigler ...
Conductor: Thomas Dausgaard
Orchestra/Ensemble: Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Kronos Quartet
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24.

Riley: The Cusp Of Magic / Wu Man, Kronos Quartet

Label: Nonesuch Catalog: 360508 Release Date: 02/05/2008 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Terry Riley
Performer: Wu Man
Orchestra/Ensemble: Kronos Quartet
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25.

Golijov: Oceana, Etc / Spano, Atlanta SO & Chorus

Label: Deutsche Grammophon Catalog: 000906902 Release Date: 07/10/2007 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Osvaldo Golijov
Performer: Luciana Souza, Jeffrey Zeigler, David Harrington, Hank Dutt ...
Conductor: Robert Spano
Orchestra/Ensemble: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Kronos Quartet, Gwinnettt Young Singers ...
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