Kronos Quartet

About

Also known as: Kronos Quartet, The, Kronus Quartet

Few string quartets have reshaped what a string quartet can even be, but Kronos has spent five decades doing exactly that. Founded in Seattle in 1973 by violinist David Harrington and based in San Francisco since 1978, they have had more than 1,200 works written specifically for them, recorded over 75 albums, and pulled in collaborators ranging from Philip Glass and Steve Reich to Tom Waits, David Bowie, Björk, and Faith No More. Their recorded arrangements of Jimi Hendrix's Purple Haze and Television's Marquee Moon give you a pretty good idea of the range. Their commissioning work is just as serious as their performing. The Under 30 Project, run with Carnegie Hall and UC Berkeley, funds new pieces from composers under thirty, keeping the pipeline of new music flowing. The lineup has shifted over the years, most recently with violinist Gabriela Díaz and violist Ayane Kosaza joining in 2024. Through all the changes, the core approach stays the same: treat contemporary classical, minimalism, world music, jazz, tango, and experimental sounds as equally valid territory for four strings.