Kronos Quartet

The American string quartet Kronos Quartet, formed in Seattle in 1973, appears at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. Its recordings range from Thelonious Monk to a tribute to Mahalia Jackson.

Kronos Quartet is an American music group formed in Seattle in 1973 and based in San Francisco, where the nonprofit KPAA handles its commissions, tours, recordings and education work. Its first album, Monk Suite (1985), was devoted to the music of Thelonious Monk, and the group records for the ANTI- label. Over more than 50 years it has released over 70 recordings and worked with many composers and performers.

Four of its albums are on Smithsonian Folkways. Rainbow (2010), the eighth volume in the Music of Central Asia series, pairs the quartet with Alim and Fargana Qasimov and Homayun Sakhi in music from Azerbaijan and Afghanistan. Long Time Passing (2020), a tribute to Pete Seeger, features Sam Amidon, Maria Arnal, Brian Carpenter, Meklit, Lee Knight and Aoife O'Donovan. Mỹ Lai (2022), an opera with music by Jonathan Berger and libretto by Harriet Scott Chessman, explores the massacre in Vietnam by American troops through the eyes of witnesses, including helicopter pilot Hugh Thompson. Glorious Mahalia (2026) is a tribute to the singer Mahalia Jackson and her role in the Civil Rights Movement.

The members are David Harrington and Gabriela Díaz on violin, Ayane Kozasa on viola and Paul Wiancko on cello. Queen Elizabeth Hall hosts concerts and shows in London.