Kronos Quartet in San Francisco

Oh San Francisco. You tempt me with your hotbed of art. Freehand, meandering, geometric, uninterrupted, isomorphic, shiny art. Tacky, flat, simulated, polychromatic, contrasting art.

I’m heading out to see the Kronos Quartet performance entitled Black Angels, including the West Coast premiere of a new production of the George Crumb piece that inspired the formation of this group three decades ago. Plus a world premier co-commissioned by Kronos Performing Arts Association and YBCA by Sahba Aminikia (a young Iranian composer from the San Francisco Conservatory), and All the Rage from Bob Ostertag.

If you aren’t already tuned in to this forward-thinking group musicians, take your next opportunity. They keep a regular concert schedule. As with anything that gives you goose bumps, the powerful Kronos sound is hard to describe without using trite exclamations. (I know tonight after I’ve found my seat, watched the four string players pick up their bows, and begin to play, that I’ll squeeze my hubby’s arm and whisper “this is awesome” before succumbing to the sound).

In short, the string quartet, led by violinist David Harrington, has been evolving over 30 years, releasing more than 45 recordings and performing new classical music. Classical music is far from dead, and neither are its composers. It seems like Kronos’ goal is not just to hone and perform the best works of new music, and to showcase upcoming composers, but to interpret our musical climate and work towards a definition of classical relevance. That way purists can appreciate their edginess, and experience renown players doing justice to the newest of compositions (many from famed composers like Terry Riley), while the audience of music lovers who don’t frequent the orchestra or more traditional string quartets can get excited about this complex musical genre. After all, they have performed everything from Bartok to Jimi Hendrix, and even collaborated on a recording with an Inuit throat singer.

Kronos performing Black Angels (Photo: Rachel Bleckman)

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) is a pillar of San Francisco’s creative side, and a must-see on anyone’s itinerary whether you are 8 or 80, and today’s schedule there is just another testament to that. The galleries are a perfect place to explore before the concert – these two artistic entities are a quality pairing, along the lines of a fine pinot and duck rillettes.

First Tuesdays are always free for YBCA exhibitions, as are every day in March for those with valid student IDs. If you see any performance here you are also granted free admission to the galleries. And YBCA is always the first SF museum to implement and use new technology in its space as well as in marketing efforts – Foursquare users get in free now, and frequent ticket giveaways are benefits of connecting through Facebook.

Good Idea

Follow your favorite bands. Try to find shows where they are playing in the city where they are from. Listening to Kronos in San Francisco, where the group originates and the members live, gives yet another shade of authenticity to the performance. Their friends and family come to those shows, and they work with great venues and arts organizations in a more intimate way (like Kronos and YBCA). Doing this also makes you a part

Deets

See Kronos next year at YBCA (June 2011), or find them in Davis in December 2011. The complete upcoming concert list is available here.

YBCA is at 701 Mission St. at 3^rd St., 415.978.2787, www.ybca.org, it is a bit closer to Montgomery BART than Powell Street BART, but either will do.