JUNE 20, 21, 22, & 23, 2024
SFJAZZ Center
201 Franklin Street, San Francisco, California
Celebrating KRONOS Five Decades! Join Kronos for four nights of premieres, innovative collaborations, and more.
SCHEDULE
To mark its historic 50th anniversary in 2023–24, Kronos Quartet has taken its 50-event KRONOS Five Decades tour to audiences around the world. Now, KRONOS Five Decades comes home to San Francisco for four nights in this year’s Kronos Festival, with world premieres, special guests, and much more in store!
This Festival includes a major Kronos milestone: the farewell performances of retiring violinist John Sherba and violist Hank Dutt — Kronos veterans of 45+ years! Join us as we salute their careers and wish them well on their retirement.
Program 1
The Festival opener showcases the world premiere of Beyond the Golden Gate, an innovative exploration of how Chinese Americans have shaped our country, featuring live music (performed by Kronos with pipa virtuoso Wu Man) and a moderated conversation with SF-based community activist David Lei. The program also includes a tribute to avant-jazz pioneer Sun Ra with a world premiere piece by Zachary James Watkins and a mash-up composition by Sun Ra, Terry Riley, and Sara Miyamoto; plus new works by Sahba Aminikia and Aleksandra Vrebalov.
[Program update, April 15, 2024: Journalist Brooke Gladstone had originally been scheduled to participate in this work. She will now take part instead in Active Radio in Program 2 on Saturday, June 21.]
Program subject to change.
Program 2
Night two of the Festival boasts the world premiere of Active Radio, combining a live performance by Kronos with an unscripted, on-stage conversation between Peabody-winning journalist Brooke Gladstone, host of WNYC’s On the Media, and Dale Minami, the SF–based civil rights lawyer and activist known for overturning Korematsu v. United States. The program also includes a world premiere by Jonathan Berger, with a recitation by author and scholar Nathalie Khankan and video by Penny Hes Yassour; and the great throat singer/composer Tanya Tagaq, joining Kronos for a set of her own compositions, including the Bay Area premiere of Watchwolf.
Program subject to change.
Program 3
Saturday night’s program showcases some of the most recent Kronos-commissioned works by longtime collaborators: The Black Art Book of St. Cyprian the Mage by Trey Spruance; This Assortment of Atoms – One Time Only!: Movement 3 by “Father of Minimalism” Terry Riley; the Bay Area premiere of I Will Be Your Voice by Mahsa Vahdat (featuring the composer on vocals); and the world premiere of a new work by Mary Kouyoumdjian. Also on the program: a special guest appearance by the San Francisco Girls Chorus, conducted by Valérie Sainte-Agathe, and more.
Program subject to change.
Program 4
A Thousand Thoughts: A Live Documentary with the Kronos Quartet
Written and Directed by Sam Green & Joe Bini
This program is a “grand finale” in two senses, as we close out the 2024 Festival and bid farewell to retiring Kronos members John Sherba and Hank Dutt, both veterans of the quartet for 45+ years. And what better way to reflect upon the careers of John and Hank—and the entire globe- and half-century-spanning history of Kronos—than with the “live documentary” A Thousand Thoughts, a signature work in the Kronos repertoire? With live narration by filmmaker Sam Green and live performances by Kronos married to concert, interview, and behind-the-scenes film footage from throughout Kronos’ history, A Thousand Thoughts considers topics as far-reaching as its title suggests: moments both fleeting and recorded, sound and vision, presence and absence, and more.
Please note that this performance of A Thousand Thoughts will be filmed. By purchasing tickets and/or coming to the performance, you consent to be photographed, filmed and/or otherwise recorded. Your entry will constitute your consent to photography, filming and/or recording and to any use, in any and all media throughout the universe in perpetuity, of your appearance and voice for any purpose whatsoever in connection with the production.
KRONOS LABS | Saturday, June 22: 2pm and 4:30pm | FREE
2:00 PM | IN CONVERSATION: John Sherba & Hank Dutt with Brooke Gladstone
This Festival includes a major Kronos milestone: the farewell performances of retiring violinist John Sherba and violist Hank Dutt — Kronos veterans of 45+ years! Join us for a conversation with John and Hank, moderated by WNYC’s Brooke Gladstone, as they reflect on 45+ years of Kronos history.
4:30PM | SPOTLIGHT: Luna Composition Lab with Missy Mazzoli and Ellen Reid
Founded in 2016 by composers and longtime Kronos collaborators Missy Mazzoli and Ellen Reid, Luna Composition Lab provides mentorship, education, and resources for young female, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming composers ages 13–18. This year’s Kronos Festival proudly presents six world-premiere performances of works by the 2023–24 Luna Composition Lab Fellows, all of whom have been mentored by Kronos as this season’s Luna Lab Ensemble in Residence. Join us for an in-depth conversation with Mazzoli, Reid, and others about the collaboration, the program, and more.
Ellen Reid SOUNDWALK | Golden Gate Park | Ongoing, FREE
SOUNDWALK is a GPS-enabled work of public art that uses music, composed by Reid and performed by Kronos and others, to illuminate the natural environment. SOUNDWALK is custom-tailored to its setting, and has been created to encourage a deeper connection to nature and exploration of iconic spaces. Listeners access the work via a free smartphone app, and experience a dynamic sonic landscape meticulously mapped to the park’s landscape and attractions.
We suggest that you install the SOUNDWALK app and download the Golden Gate Park walk to your phone prior to arriving at the park – click here to watch an instructional video.
Reid also joins our Kronos Lab (Saturday, June 22 | 4:30pm | FREE) featuring the Luna Composition Lab, which she co-founded alongside fellow composer and Kronos collaborator Missy Mazzoli.
Ellen Reid SOUNDWALK in Golden Gate Park is presented by KRONOS FESTIVAL in association with McEvoy Foundation for the Arts. Additional support is provided by Ann Hatch, Andrea Lunsford, Sumiko Ito & Don Allison, and Curtis Smith & Sue Threlkeld.
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
Thursday, June 20, 7:30pm, Program 1
Kronos Quartet performs with special guests David Lei and Wu Man
The Festival opener showcases the world premiere of Beyond the Golden Gate, an innovative exploration of how Chinese Americans have shaped our country, featuring live music (performed by Kronos with pipa virtuoso Wu Man) and a moderated conversation with SF-based community activist David Lei. The program also includes a tribute to avant-jazz pioneer Sun Ra with a world premiere piece by Zachary James Watkins and a mash-up composition by Sun Ra, Terry Riley, and Sara Miyamoto; plus new works by Sahba Aminikia and Aleksandra Vrebalov.
[Program update, April 15, 2024: Journalist Brooke Gladstone had originally been scheduled to participate in this work. She will now take part instead in Active Radio in Program 2 on Saturday, June 21.]
Friday, June 21, 7:30pm, Program 2
Kronos Quartet performs with special guests Brooke Gladstone, Nathalie Khankan, Dale Minami, and Tanya Tagaq
Night two of the Festival boasts the world premiere of Active Radio, combining a live performance by Kronos with an unscripted, on-stage conversation between Peabody-winning journalist Brooke Gladstone, host of WNYC’s On the Media, and Dale Minami, the SF–based civil rights lawyer and activist known for overturning Korematsu v. United States. The program also includes a world premiere by Jonathan Berger, with a recitation by author and scholar Nathalie Khankan and video by Penny Hes Yassour; and the great throat singer/composer Tanya Tagaq, joining Kronos for a set of her own compositions, including the Bay Area premiere of Watchwolf.
Saturday, June 22, 7:30pm, Program 3
Kronos Quartet performs with special guests Mahsa Vahdat, and the San Francisco Girls Chorus conducted by Valérie Sainte-Agathe
Saturday night’s program showcases some of the most recent Kronos-commissioned works by longtime collaborators: The Black Art Book of St. Cyprian the Mage by Trey Spruance; This Assortment of Atoms – One Time Only!: Movement 3 by “Father of Minimalism” Terry Riley; the Bay Area premiere of I Will Be Your Voice by Mahsa Vahdat (featuring the composer on vocals); and the world premiere of a new work by Mary Kouyoumdjian. Also on the program: a special guest appearance by the San Francisco Girls Chorus, conducted by Valérie Sainte-Agathe, and more.
Saturday, June 22: Kronos Labs, 2pm and 4:30pm, FREE
2:00 PM | IN CONVERSATION: John Sherba & Hank Dutt with Brooke Gladstone
This Festival includes a major Kronos milestone: the farewell performances of retiring violinist John Sherba and violist Hank Dutt — Kronos veterans of 45+ years! Join us for a conversation with John and Hank, moderated by WNYC’s Brooke Gladstone, as they reflect on 45+ years of Kronos history.
4:30PM | SPOTLIGHT: Luna Composition Lab with Missy Mazzoli and Ellen Reid
Founded in 2016 by composers and longtime Kronos collaborators Missy Mazzoli and Ellen Reid, Luna Composition Lab provides mentorship, education, and resources for young female, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming composers ages 13–18. This year’s Kronos Festival proudly presents six world-premiere performances of works by the 2023–24 Luna Composition Lab Fellows, all of whom have been mentored by Kronos as this season’s Luna Lab Ensemble in Residence. Join us for an in-depth conversation with Mazzoli, Reid, and others about the collaboration, the program, and more.
Sunday, June 23, 5:00PM, Program 4
A Thousand Thoughts: A Live Documentary with the Kronos Quartet
Written and Directed by Sam Green & Joe Bini
This program is a “grand finale” in two senses, as we close out the 2024 Festival and bid farewell to retiring Kronos members John Sherba and Hank Dutt, both veterans of the quartet for 45+ years. And what better way to reflect upon the careers of John and Hank—and the entire globe- and half-century-spanning history of Kronos—than with the “live documentary” A Thousand Thoughts, a signature work in the Kronos repertoire? With live narration by filmmaker Sam Green and live performances by Kronos married to concert, interview, and behind-the-scenes film footage from throughout Kronos’ history, A Thousand Thoughts considers topics as far-reaching as its title suggests: moments both fleeting and recorded, sound and vision, presence and absence, and more.
Ellen Reid SOUNDWALK, a free, GPS-enabled work of public art in Golden Gate Park that launched in 2021 as part of Kronos Festival, will also be ongoing at Golden Gate Park.
THANK YOU TO OUR FUNDERS AND SPONSORS
Kronos Festival is produced by the Kronos Performing Arts Association (KPAA) and is part of the San Francisco–based 501(c)3 nonprofit’s KRONOS PRESENTS program. It is made possible by support from San Francisco Grants for the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and Bernard Osher Foundation.
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