David Harrington, Kronos’ founder, artistic director, and violinist, is proud to have served as a member of the Master Jury for the inaugural Aga Khan Music Awards, which were held this past weekend in Lisbon, Portugal. The Aga Khan Music Awards were created to recognize and support exceptional talent, creativity, promise, and enterprise in music performance, creation, education, preservation, and revitalization in societies across the world in which Muslims have a significant presence. The jury also included ethnomusicologist Jean During (France), artist, curator, and teacher Salima Hashmi (Pakistan), musician and musicologist Nouri Iskandar (Syria), and choreographer Akram Khan (UK).

“It is with immense hope for the future that Janet Cowperthwaite, Kronos’ manager and the managing director of the Kronos Performing Arts Association, and I can report on our days attending the Aga Khan Music Awards,” writes David. “These days were filled with inspiring, thrilling performances; and we were surrounded by some of our most thoughtful and visionary colleagues gathered from many corners of the creative world. To witness a brand new celebration of music at its inauguration, to hear the power and reach of music clearly resounding with energy, diversity, and mystery, and to see the dedication, devotion, and support musicians deserve but frequently are not given—we are left with a huge sense gratitude and optimism. We can say that the Aga Khan Music Awards now point our troubled, fragile world toward an inclusive and positive new place. The most difficult step has been taken, that first step in a new direction. We are grateful to His Highness the Aga Khan and to Prince Amyn Aga Khan for their vision and devotion to this initiative. We also thank the Aga Khan Music Initiative Director Fairouz Nishanova and Senior Consultant Theodore Levin for their tireless work and creativity.  And finally, we thank and congratulate the Laureates and all the fabulous musicians!”

His Highness the Aga Khan, Prince Amyn Aga Khan, Prince Hussain Aga Khan, and Prince Aly Muhammad Aga Khan with the Steering Committee and the Master Jury of the 2019 Aga Khan Music Awards at the Ismaili Centre Lisbon.

Kronos Quartet/Kronos Performing Arts Association (KPAA) is pleased to present Kronos Festival 2019, Kronos’ fifth annual, three-day music festival, at SFJAZZ Center on May 30–June 1, 2019. Kronos Festival 2019 will highlight the voices of singers, storytellers and activists over three evening concerts, a Saturday morning family concert and Kronos Labs, free public events that are new this year. Kronos has long collaborated with vocal artists, including in its recent Grammy Award–winning album Landfall (Nonesuch Records) with Laurie Anderson and its new album Placeless (Kirkelig Kulturverksted) with Iranian singers Mahsa and Marjan Vahdat.

During the festival, a wide range of artists will join Kronos on stage. Experimental duo CocoRosie, Malian griot singer Hawa Kassé Mady Diabaté (of Trio Da Kali), and the San Francisco Girls Chorus are all returning from last year’s festival. In addition, folk musicians Sam Amidon and Lee Knight, composer and bassist Jherek Bischoff, writer Rebecca Solnit and filmmaker Sam Green will perform. Highlighting Kronos’ legacy of mentorship, students from the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts once again take center stage during the festival. Kronos is honored that Valérie Sainte-Agathe, artistic director of the San Francisco Girls Chorus and frequent Kronos collaborator, will be Kronos Festival 2019’s Artist-in-Residence. Additional guests will be announced. Explore complete programs and buy tickets >

Kronos Quartet with the San Francisco Girls Chorus and Valérie Sainte-Agathe / credit Evan Neff