The Kronos Quartet leads three emerging quartets in a weeklong exploration of the string quartet repertoire Kronos has built over 35 years of commissioning new music. Virtuoso pipa player Wu Man joins as guest faculty, working with the quartets and a young pipa artist in some of Kronos's collaborative repertoire, including excerpts from Tan Dun's Ghost Opera and Terry Riley's The Cusp of Magic. A master class in Weill Recital Hall in March and a final performance in Zankel Hall on March 21 will highlight these works, plus Michael Gordon's Potassium and Terry Riley's Sunrise of the Planetary Dream Collector.

Part of Kronos' 2009–2010 Perspectives at Carnegie Hall, this is the second Professional Training Workshop the group has led. For more than 30 years, San Francisco's Kronos Quartet has pursued a singular artistic vision with a spirit of fearless exploration. The Grammy-winning Kronos is one of today's most celebrated ensembles, performing thousands of concerts worldwide, releasing over 45 recordings of extraordinary breadth, commissioning more than 600 new works, and collaborating with renowned artists of myriad disciplines.

Applications will be accepted from string quartets with members between the ages of 18 and 35. Three quartets and a pipa player will be selected to participate in the workshop.