Kronos Quartet brings imaginative repertoire to Harker Concert Series closer

Staying true to its adventurous spirit, the renowned Kronos Quartet filled the packed Patil Theater with sounds from the recesses of the imagination during Friday night’s Harker Concert Series 2020 season closer. The evening’s repertoire consisted of pieces that either had been written or arranged for the group by composers hailing from such countries as Egypt, Mali, Mexico and Turkey. No strangers to experimentation, the musicians came prepared with plenty of twists and turns, pleasantly surprising concertgoers with pivots such as replacing their bows with noisemakers during Nicole Lizée’s “Another Living Soul” and utilizing the distinct “whoosh” produced by whipping their bows through the air on Garth Knox’s “Satellites: III. Dimensions.”

Other highlights included a haunting rendition of John Coltrane’s “Alabama,” written in response to the horrific 16th Street Baptist Church bombing carried out in 1963 by the Ku Klux Clan, and a joyous performance of “Tegere Tulon: I. Funtukuru” by Malian composer Hawa Kassé Mady Diabaté, with the rhythm provided by audience clapping.

March 2, 2020Tags: eweekly, Harker Concert Series, Kronos Quartet