String Quartets Nos 2 - 5

Since its inception in 1973, the Kronos Quartet has emerged as a leading voice for new work. Combining a unique musical vision with a fearless dedication to experimentation, 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.

More than 400 works have been written or arranged for Kronos, and its extensive repertoire ranges from Shostakovich, Webern, Bartók and Ives to Astor Piazzolla, John Cage, Raymond Scott and Howlin' Wolf. In addition to working closely with modern masters such as Terry Riley and Henryk Górecki, Kronos commissions new works from today's most innovative composers from around the world, extending its reach as far as Zimbabwe, Poland, Mexico, Australia, Japan, Argentina and Azerbaijan. The Quartet is currently working with many composers, including John Adams, Franghiz Ali-Zadeh, Osvaldo
Golijov, Ben Johnston, Steven Mackey, Akira Nishimura, Gabriela Ortiz, P. Q. Phan, Steve Reich, Somei Satoh, Peteris Vasks and Guo Wenjing.

Kronos performs annually in many cities including San Francisco and New York, 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, New Zealand, Russia, Hong Kong and Australia. Recent tours have included appearances at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Kennedy Center, Montreux Jazz Festival, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Moscow's Tchaikovsky Hall, Sydney Opera House, Tanglewood, London's Royal Festival Hall, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, La Scala, Theatre de la Ville in Paris and Chicago's Orchestra Hall.