This playlist features works from “Fifty for the Future: The Kronos Learning Repertoire” written by women. Through this project Kronos is commissioning 50 composers (25 men and 25 women) to write pieces exploring contemporary approaches to the string quartet, aimed at student players and emerging professional ensembles. After premiering each piece, Kronos is creating digital materials, including scores and parts, which are available free online. To learn how to play these pieces (and those by their male counterparts), visit: http://kronosquartet.org/fifty-for-the-future

In 1973, Kronos Quartet played its first concert in Seattle. As David Harrington, the Kronos' founder, artistic director, and violinist, recalled: "It was the first string quartet concert my wife ever went to, and we were talking about it afterwards. She looked at the program and she said, 'Where are the women composers?' And I looked and said, 'You know — I don’t know any women composers.' I had made a list of a lot of things that I wanted eventually to be able to find a way of bringing into the realm of our work. And after that first concert, I definitely added women composers. There were so many things that could be done, that hadn’t been done. So it felt like there were immense possibilities."

Since that concert, Kronos Quartet has fostered new music from diverse composers – more than 950 works and arrangements so far, and many by women. To hear more of Kronos' collaborations with women composers, musicians, and songwriters, check out: https://play.spotify.com/user/kronos_quartet/playlist/06bJaR06I1Q57kNZPma47T

Women composers of Kronos' Fifty for the Future

Kronos’ Fifty for the Future is commissioning a collection of 50 new works – 10 per year for five years – that are devoted to the most contemporary approaches to the string quartet and designed expressly for the training of students and emerging professionals. The works are being commissioned from an eclectic group of composers – 25 men and 25 women – and the collection is beginning to represent the truly globe-spanning state of the art of the string quartet in the 21st century.

On November 7, we released the scores and parts, audio recordings, and many more resources for Fifty for the Future works by Laurie Anderson, Trey Spruance (Secret Chiefs 3, Mr. Bungle), Stephan Thelen (SONAR), Korean haegeum master Soo Yeon Lyuh and Swedish composer Karin Rehnqvist, which join previously released pieces by Franghiz Ali-Zadeh, Ken Benshoof, Raven Chacon, Fodé Lassana Diabaté, Rhiannon Giddens, Yotam Haber, Joan Jeanrenaud, Garth Knox, Aleksander Kościów, Nicole Lizée, Kala Ramnath, Tanya Tagaq, Merlijn Twaalfhoven, Aleksandra Vrebalov and Wu Man. Anyone can now learn to play these string quartets... including you!

Visit Kronos Quartet's website: kronosquartet.org/fifty-for-the-future/

Fall 2017 Release: Kronos' Fifty for the Future #16–20 of 50

You can learn to play this piece. FREE scores and parts, among other materials, are available online: kronosquartet.org/fifty-for-the-future

Composed by Karin Rehnqvist
© 2017 Inner Sunset Publishing
℗ 2017 Kronos Performing Arts Association
Commissioned for Fifty for the Future: The Kronos Learning Repertoire

Produced by Kronos Quartet
Recorded July 2017 at 25th Street Recording, Oakland, CA
Engineered and mixed by Alex Spencer
Assistant engineer: Peter Labberton
Production Assistant: Reshena Liao
Edited at Lazy Dog Sound Studios, Los Angeles, CA
Mixed by Alex Spencer and David Harrington at Decibelle Recording, San Francisco, CA

The Riddle

Karin Rehnqvist - The Riddle

You can learn to play this piece. FREE scores and parts, among other materials, are available online: kronosquartet.org/fifty-for-the-future

Composed by Laurie Anderson
© 2017 Inner Sunset Publishing
℗ 2017 Kronos Performing Arts Association
Commissioned for Fifty for the Future: The Kronos Learning Repertoire

Produced by Kronos Quartet
Recorded July 2017 at 25th Street Recording, Oakland, CA
Engineered and mixed by Alex Spencer
Assistant engineer: Peter Labberton
Production Assistant: Reshena Liao
Edited at Lazy Dog Sound Studios, Long Beach, CA
Mixed by Alex Spencer and David Harrington at Decibelle Recording, San Francisco, CA

III. Airy

Laurie Anderson - Shutter Island: III. Airy

II. Crystal

Laurie Anderson - Shutter Island: II. Crystal

I. Shutter Island

Laurie Anderson - Shutter Island: I. Shutter Island

You can learn to play this piece. FREE scores and parts, among other materials, are available online: kronosquartet.org/fifty-for-the-future

Composed by Soo Yeon Lyuh
© 2016 Inner Sunset Publishing
℗ 2017 Kronos Performing Arts Association
Commissioned for Fifty for the Future: The Kronos Learning Repertoire

Produced by Kronos Quartet
Recorded July 2017 at 25th Street Recording, Oakland, CA
Engineered and mixed by Alex Spencer
Assistant engineer: Peter Labberton
Production Assistant: Reshena Liao
Edited at Lazy Dog Sound Studios, Long Beach, CA
Mixed by Alex Spencer and David Harrington at Decibelle Recording, San Francisco, CA

Yessori (Sound from the Past)

Soo Yeon Lyuh - Yessori

You can learn to play this piece. FREE scores and parts, among other materials, are available online: kronosquartet.org/fifty-for-the-future

Composed by Hawa Kassé Mady Diabaté on vocals, arranged for string quartet by Jacob Garchik
© 2018 Inner Sunset Publishing
℗ 2019 Kronos Performing Arts Association
Commissioned for Fifty for the Future: The Kronos Learning Repertoire

Produced by Kronos Quartet and Reshena Liao
Recorded August 2019 at 25th Street Recording, Oakland, CA
Engineered by Zach Miley
Assistant engineer: Gabriel Shepard
Mixed by Zach Miley and David Harrington at Decibelle Recording, San Francisco, CA

Hawa Diabaté - Tegere Tulon: IV. Wawani

Hawa Diabaté - Tegere Tulon: III. Kalime

Hawa Diabaté - Tegere Tulon: II. Dulen

Hawa Diabaté - Tegere Tulon: I. Funtukuru

Kronos Quartet is David Harrington (violin), John Sherba (violin), Hank Dutt (viola), and Sunny Yang (cello).

http://kronosquartet.org/

Here you will find our recordings of new work commissioned for Fifty for the Future: The Kronos Learning Repertoire. Released over five years beginning in 2016, this collection of 50 compositions by 25 men and 25 women from around the world will be devoted to the contemporary approaches to the string quartet and designed expressly for the training of students and emerging professionals. Scores and parts, audio recordings, composer interviews, and many more resources are available for free on our website.

Founded over forty years ago, we are a San Francisco-based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. For more recordings, please visit http://www.nonesuch.com/artists/kronos-quartet or http://kronosquartet.org/recordings Thank you!