Kronos Quartet

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Last year the Kronos Quartet celebrated 40 years of existence. The string quartet was founded in 1973 by the American violinist David Harrington, who gathered around him a group of open-minded and classically educated musicians who were willing to peer out from the somewhat confining ghetto of modern classical music. The quartet systematically devotes itself to the interpretation of new music in particular. It is one of the most influential, highly regarded and sought-after ensembles in contemporary classical music. The basis of the Kronos Quartet’s work is long-term collaboration with many world-renowned composers. Thanks to its repertoire, the ensemble is also very popular with listeners who don’t normally go in for classical music. The Kronos Quartet feels equally at home in concert halls and on stage at a huge festival. The ensemble’s performance is sure to appeal to a wide audience.

Especially for the Janáček Brno festival, they have included in their programme a work by the eminent American minimalist Steve Reich, who took inspiration from Janáček’s music. This is a composition entitled Different Trains from 1988, which won a prestigious Grammy Award the following year in the category Best Contemporary Classical Composition. The work references Janáček’s method of speech melodies.