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Kronos Quartet Performs with Wilco’s Glenn Kotche at Zankel Hall, 12/5
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Carnegie Hall News
Back to Press Release List > 11/11/2008 - Kronos Quartet Performs with Wilco’s Glenn Kotche at Zankel Hall, 12/5
Most current program information 
CARNEGIE HALL PRESENTS KRONOS QUARTET
ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5 AT 7:30 P.M. IN ZANKEL HALL
Wilco Drummer Glenn Kotche Is Guest Performer in
New York Premiere of His Anomaly
George Crumb’s Black Angels and Premieres from Raz Mesinai,
Hanna Kulenty, and Ramallah Underground Also on the Program
Kronos Quartet Also Performs a Carnegie Hall Family Concert on
Saturday, December 6 at 1:00 P.M.
On Friday, December 5 at 7:30 p.m. in Zankel Hall, Carnegie Hall presents Kronos Quartet and percussionist/composer Glenn Kotche, drummer for the rock band Wilco, in the New York premiere of Kotche’s Anomaly, part of a wildly diverse program that also features Kronos performing a new staging of George Crumb’s seminal 1970 work Black Angels and a number of world and New York premieres. Kotche’s Anomaly, his first piece written outside the percussion realm, is a 25-minute, 7-movement composition that treats the individual string quartet members like the limbs of a percussionist. Additional premieres on the program include Raz Mesinai’s Crossfader (world premiere), Ramallah Underground’s Tashweesh (NY premiere), Jacob Garchik’s arrangement of the traditional Greek folk song Smyrneiko Minore (world premiere), Judith Berkson and Garchik's arrangement of the traditional Jewish song Ov Horachamim (world premiere), and Hanna Kulenty’s String Quartet No. 4, "A Cradle Song" (NY premiere). A pre-concert talk starts at 6:30 p.m. in Zankel Hall with Glenn Kotche in conversation with Jeremy Geffen, Carnegie Hall’s Director of Artistic Planning.
The next day, Saturday, December 6 at 1:00 p.m. in Zankel Hall, Kronos Quartet returns for an interactive Carnegie Hall Family Concert hosted by Dr. Craig Woodson, at which children can make their own instruments. Kronos will play music from a diverse array of cultures while inviting the audience to play along on their new instruments.
Also, on Friday, April 24, 2009 at 8:00 p.m., Kronos again returns to Carnegie Hall to curate an all-star performance in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage of Terry Riley’s In C commemorating the 45th anniversary of the work’s premiere. The performance will feature Kronos, Terry Riley, and original In C performers Stuart Dempster, Jon Gibson, Katrina Krimsky, and Pauline Oliveros, plus Dennis Russell Davies, Dave Douglas, Trevor Dunn, Jacob Garchik, Philip Glass, Michael Hearst, Margaret Leng Tan, Lenny Pickett, Gyan Riley, Aaron Shaw, Kathleen Supové, Wu Man, Yi Yang, Evan Ziporyn, Koto Vortex, Quartet New Generation, So Percussion, members of the Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble, and others.
On the December 5 Zankel Hall program, works receiving their premieres include:
• Raz Mesinai: Crossfader—Raz Mesinai was born in Jerusalem in 1973 and his electronic and electro-acoustic music exists at the crossroads of composition, sound design, and modern studio production. About this work, Mesinai says, “Crossfader incorporates the rhythms, pulses, and full-throttle energy of electronic dance music into the string quartet medium. Although it was initially written for string quartet and electronics, I realized that all of the sounds I wanted could be derived straight from the instruments alone. By using the many splendid extended techniques that a stringed instrument can deliver, the players simulate such effects as delays, phasers, and flanging used in modern electronic dance music.”
• Traditional: Smyrneiko Minore (arr. Jacob Garchik)—This arrangement of the traditional Greek folk song Smyrneiko Minore was inspired by the renowned 1918 recording by singer Marika Papagika. Papagika was born on the island of Kos in 1890. She and her husband arrived in New York in 1915, on board the Themistocles, a ship that had sailed from the Greek port of Piraeus, and by 1925 they had moved to 215 West 34th Street where they owned and operated their own club—one of the more famous “café Amans” of the period that were breeding grounds for Greek-American music.
• Traditional: Ov Horachamim (arr. Judith Berkson and Jacob Garchik)—This arrangement of Ov Horachamim is inspired by a recording by Fraydele Oysher (1913–2004). Oysher was born in Lipkon, Bessarabia, which is in contemporary Moldova. She came to America at an early age with her cantor father, her mother, and her brother Moishe. The children, who both possessed magnificent singing voices and were surrounded by religious music, were tutored in the liturgical chants of their synagogue. Fraydele was offered opportunities to sing as a female cantor, but opted to remain on the stage, bringing the sound of the synagogue to the theater. She recorded Ov Horachamim on an album titled Yiddish Soul. The text of Ov Horachamim is a piyut, or liturgical poem, said during Jewish religious services at the end of the Torah processional, after the scrolls have been taken from the ark.
• Glenn Kotche: Anomaly—About Anomaly, Kotche writes: “After seeing a Kronos Quartet performance in early 2006, I got the idea to compose a string quartet. I wanted to do it from my perspective as a percussionist, treating the four members of the quartet like the varying relationships and roles of my limbs when I play the drum set. I also thought it would be interesting to arrange it with the addition of an optional drum set part. I was happily surprised when David Harrington, upon hearing my record Mobile, called me to request the exact same thing. He suggested that I write a piece for string quartet with an optional fifth percussion part that was ‘rhythmic with percussive colors’ and—much more dauntingly—‘something vital, beautiful and wonderful.’ My closest uncle, Eddie Kotche, died just around the time of that Kronos performance. The night that he passed, I went home and improvised a short melody on the vibraphone. This would become the dominant, recurring theme in what would eventually be titled Anomaly. This melody is present in some form in all seven movements. In the fifth movement, the theme is played in its entirety on the handbells, emulating the tonal color of the vibraphone.”
• Hanna Kulenty: String Quartet No. 4, "A Cradle Song"—Hanna Kulenty, born in Bialystok, Poland, studied composition with Wlodzimierz Kotonski at the Chopin Music Academy and with Louis Andriessen at the Royal Conservatory of Music. She has been composer-in-residence with Het Gelders Orkest, and among her many awards is first prize at UNESCO’s 50th International Rostrum of Composers for her Trumpet Concerto (2002). About String Quartet No. 4, “A Cradle Song”, Kulenty writes: “The first time I wrote ‘A Cradle Song’ was in the year my daughter Misia was born, in 1982, at the time I was studying composition. I wrote a simple melody for violin and soprano voice with a Polish text, and it was performed once at the Music Academy in Warsaw. Ten years later Misia died. After a few months I wrote a new ‘A Cradle Song,’ using only part of the original melody of the first composition. It was a version for violin, cello, and piano and it was premiered at the Munich Biennale. It was a different cradle song... Last year, when I started writing my fourth string quartet, again I couldn’t avoid using this melody. In this instrumentation, timing, and sound I wanted to give new energy and to see this song in a new light. ‘A Cradle Song’ again has a different meaning. A positive meaning.”
• Ramallah Underground: Tashweesh (arr. Jacob Garchik)—Ramallah Underground (RU) is a musical collective based in Ramallah, Palestine, attempting to rejuvenate Arabic culture through its music. RU was founded by artists Boikutt, Stormtrap, and Aswatt. They produce music ranging from hip-hop to trip-hop to down tempo. The members all started off as producers with Boikutt and Stormtrap later picking up the microphone to MC in Arabic, adding a political layer to their music. Their work comes out of a deep sense of local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives. RU’s express hope is to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs, bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world. About Tashweesh, David Harrington wrote: “I first heard Ramallah Underground on MySpace. Their sound was distinctive, and they seemed very interesting as a group. They were open to the world of music. I began an e-mail correspondence with them, and found that one member lived in Palestine, another in Vienna, and the third in Dubai. I sent them a bunch of Kronos CDs and in exchange they sent me a lot of their music. After I had spent a lot of time with their work, I felt it would be great if they would write for Kronos. Tashweesh is the result.”
For more than 30 years, San Francisco's Kronos Quartet—David Harrington, John Sherba (violins), Hank Dutt (viola) and Jeffrey Zeigler (cello)—has pursued a singular artistic vision, combining a spirit of fearless exploration with a commitment to expanding the range and context of the string quartet. In the process, Kronos has become one of the most celebrated and influential ensembles of our time, performing thousands of concerts worldwide, releasing more than 45 recordings of extraordinary breadth and commissioning more than 600 new works and arrangements for string quartet. Kronos' work has also garnered numerous awards, including a Grammy for Best Chamber Music Performance (2004) and "Musicians of the Year" (2003) from Musical America.
Kronos' adventurous, eclectic repertoire encompasses works by 20th-century masters (Bartók, Shostakovich, Webern), contemporary composers (Aleksandra Vrebalov, John Adams, Alfred Schnittke), jazz legends (Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk), and artists from even farther afield (rock guitar hero Jimi Hendrix, Azeri vocalist Alim Qasimov, and avant-garde saxophonist John Zorn). Integral to Kronos' work is a series of long-running, in-depth collaborations with many of the world's foremost composers, including Americans Terry Riley, Philip Glass, and Steve Reich; Azerbaijan's Franghiz Ali-Zadeh; Poland's Henryk Górecki; and Argentina's Osvaldo Golijov. Additional collaborators from around the world have included Chinese pipa virtuoso Wu Man; the legendary Bollywood "playback singer" Asha Bhosle; the renowned American soprano Dawn Upshaw; Mexican rockers Café Tacuba; the Romanian gypsy band Taraf de Haïdouks; and Inuit throat singer Tanya Tagaq.
The Quartet spends five months of each year on tour, appearing in the world's most prestigious concert halls, clubs, and festivals. Kronos is equally prolific on CD, with a discography on Nonesuch Records including Pieces of Africa (1992), a showcase of African-born composers that simultaneously topped Billboard’s Classical and World Music lists; Nuevo (2002), a Grammy- and Latin Grammy-nominated celebration of Mexican culture; and the 2003 Grammy-winner, Alban Berg’s Lyric Suite.
Born in Roselle, Illinois, percussionist Glenn Kotche attended the University of Kentucky Percussion Program, studying under James Campbell, graduating summa cum laude in 1994 with a BM in Music Performance. Following graduation, his stints with various ensembles have resulted in participation on over 80 albums, including three solo records, the first two entitled Introducing and Next. Kotche's third solo effort, Mobile (Nonesuch, 2006), was released to critical acclaim. The album features eight compositions for a wide range of instruments, including vibraphone, kalimba, cymbalom, drum kit, and hammered dulcimer. Kotche is the subject of numerous features in a variety of media, most recently a cover feature in Modern Drummer for his work both as a solo percussionist and with the Grammy-award winning rock band Wilco, with whom Kotche has played since 2001.
Program Information
Friday, December 5 at 7:30 p.m.
Zankel Hall
KRONOS QUARTET
·· David Harrington, Violin
·· John Sherba, Violin
·· Hank Dutt, Viola
·· Jeffrey Zeigler, Cello
with special guest:
Glenn Kotche, Percussion
RAZ MESINAI Crossfader (World Premiere)
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND (arr. Jacob Garchik) Tashweesh (NY Premiere)
TRADITIONAL (arr. Garchik) Smyrneiko Minore (World Premiere)
TRADITIONAL (arr. Judith Berkson and Garchik) Ov Horachamim (World Premiere)
HANNA KULENTY String Quartet No. 4, "A Cradle Song" (NY Premiere)
GLENN KOTCHE Anomaly (NY premiere)
GEORGE CRUMB Black Angels
Pre-concert talk starts at 6:30 p.m. in Zankel Hall: Glenn Kotche in conversation with Jeremy Geffen, Director of Artistic Planning, Carnegie Hall.
Tickets: $45, $55
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Saturday, December 6 at 1:00 p.m.
Zankel Hall
CARNEGIE HALL FAMILY CONCERT: KRONOS QUARTET
Kronos Quartet
·· David Harrington, Violin
·· John Sherba, Violin
·· Hank Dutt, Viola
·· Jeffrey Zeigler, Cello
Dr. Craig Woodson, Host
In this three-part, interactive concert, Dr. Craig Woodson leads audience members in making instruments (materials provided). The Kronos Quartet will play a selection of music from a diverse array of cultures and invite the audience, led by Woodson, to play along with their new instruments!
Carnegie Hall Family Concerts are made possible, in part, by generous endowment gifts from Mr. and Mrs. Lester S. Morse Jr., and the Henry and Lucy Moses Fund.
Tickets: $9
____________________________________
Friday, April 24 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage
TERRY RILEY'S IN C
David Harrington, Artistic Director
TERRY RILEY In C
Experience the work that changed the course of musical history and influenced countless artists from John Adams to The Who. Specially curated by the Kronos Quartet for the 45th anniversary of the premiere of In C, a one-time-only gathering of musicians will perform the work in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage for the first time.
Featuring Kronos, Terry Riley, and original In C performers Stuart Dempster, Jon Gibson, Katrina Krimsky and Pauline Oliveros, plus Dennis Russell Davies, Dave Douglas, Trevor Dunn, Jacob Garchik, Philip Glass, Michael Hearst, Margaret Leng Tan, Lenny Pickett, Gyan Riley, Aaron Shaw, Kathleen Supové, Wu Man, Yi Yang, Evan Ziporyn, Koto Vortex, Quartet New Generation, So Percussion, members of the Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble, and others.
Tickets: $21, $26, $35, $49, $65, $72
Bank of America is the Proud Season Sponsor of Carnegie Hall.
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Ticket Information
Tickets are available at the Carnegie Hall Box Office, 154 West 57th Street, or can be charged to major credit cards by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800 or by visiting the Carnegie Hall website, www.carnegiehall.org.
In addition, for all Carnegie Hall Corporation presentations taking place in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, a limited number of partial-view seats, priced at $10, will be available day-of-concert beginning at 11:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 12:00 noon on Sunday until one hour before the performance. The exceptions are Carnegie Hall Family Concerts and gala events. These $10 tickets are available to the general public on a first-come, first-served basis at the Carnegie Hall Box Office only. There is a two-ticket limit per customer.
A limited number of student/senior citizen discount tickets, priced at $10, may also be available for some Carnegie Hall events. They are on sale at the Box Office day-of-concert beginning at 11:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 12:00 noon on Sunday until one hour before the performance. Student/senior discount tickets for some Weill Recital Hall events are available at the Box Office one hour before the performance. Please call CarnegieCharge for ticket availability.
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