LEXINGTON, Ky.—The Grammy Award-winning Kronos Quartet will give the inaugural performance in Transylvania’s Dorothy J. and Fred K. Smith Concert Series Wednesday, Oct. 10, at 7:30 p.m. in Haggin Auditorium.
For more than 30 years, the Kronos Quartet has pursued the artistic vision of combining 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 today, performing thousands of concerts worldwide, releasing more than 40 recordings, collaborating with many of the world’s most eclectic composers and performers and commissioning hundreds of works and arrangements for string quartet. Their work has received numerous awards, including a 2004 Grammy for Best Chamber Music Performance and being named 2003 Musicians of the Year by Musical America.
Kronos has built a diverse repertoire for string quartet, performing and recording works by twentieth century masters (Bartok, Shostakovich, Webern), contemporary composers (Sofia Gubaidulina, Arvo Part, Alfred Schnittke), jazz legends (Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk), and such varied artists as rock guitar legend Jimi Hendrix, Indian vocal master Pandit Pran Nath and avant-garde saxophonist John Zorn. The quartet has collaborated with many of the world’s foremost composers and artists, and its work has been featured prominently in films and dance.
The Smith Concert Series was created in February 2007 by Dorothy J. Smith, a 1942 Transylvania graduate, to bring high quality musical performances to Transylvania’s campus. The series, which is named for Smith and her late husband, Fred K. Smith, a 1940 Transylvania graduate, will bring to campus a variety of musical styles, including classical, jazz, American folk, world music, musical theater and opera.
Ticket Information: The concert is free; however, a ticket is required. Tickets, limited to two per person, may be picked up in Old Morrison 101, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. For more information, call (859) 233-8206.