November, 2008

Dear Friends,

Thirty-five years ago, Ken Benshoof, my teacher and friend, wrote the very first piece for Kronos. It was called Traveling Music and I commissioned it in exchange for a bag of doughnuts. I've thought often of how fortunate Kronos was to have Traveling Music as the starting point of our journey. It was beautiful and distinctive music, both personal and engaging and unlike any other piece I had ever heard. Now, 650 pieces later, Kronos' commissioning program has become one of the most extensive in the world, with nearly 50 new works in progress as I write. I am so grateful for your interest in the development of the Kronos repertoire. As I explore the many pathways and back roads of our musical environment searching for those essential experiences to bring into the world of Kronos, I am continually fueled by the immense possibility there is for music to exist in so many unforeseen places.  Just this past year, Kronos premiered 16 new pieces by composers from 10 countries.

This season our plans are even bigger.  We’re very excited to engage with several international partners to launch new works by Homayoun Sakhi (Afghanistan), Alim Qasimov (Azerbaijan), Tom Recchion (USA), Terry Riley (USA), Rahayu Supanggah (Indonesia), Yuanlin Chen (China), Maria Schneider (USA), Jon Rose (Australia), Vladimir Martynov (Russia), Wu Man (China), Franghiz Ali-Zadeh (Azerbaijan), and Thierry Pécou (France), among many others.  We cannot do this work without you!
   
I believe fervently that Kronos epitomizes the rich diversity and the collaborative spirit of an extended international family.  Kronos is “more than four”  – it is an organization, a movement – with a mission to continually re-imagine the string quartet experience. We belong to a global community and Kronos has perpetually embodied that belief by finding connections between sounds, building bridges between people and cultures, and continuing to encourage an increased awareness and understanding of the world we live in.

Your gift will make a real difference -- absolutely!  With your visionary support, Kronos will continue to break new ground, forge ahead into new landscapes of music, and share our passion of making music with you live in concert, on disk, and on-line.  As you plan your contributions, please consider a generous investment in Kronos’ legacy of bold, fearless, and acclaimed music for our community, our world, and our time.

Sincerely,

David Harrington
Founder, Artistic Director, Violinist
Kronos Quartet