In April, the audience at Duke's Page Auditorium was treated to the sounds of the internationally acclaimed Kronos Quartet, which performed the world première of "String Quartet No. 1." The piece, arranged with the Kronos Quartet in mind, was commissioned by Duke Performances and composed by Grammy-winning composer Maria Schneider.
 Since its founding in 1973, the Kronos Quartet has released dozens of albums, toured the globe many times, and commissioned more than 600 works by the finest composers working today, including John Adams, Philip Glass, Steve Reich, and Terry Riley. Maria Schneider, who is best known for her jazz and big-band compositions, won a Grammy in 2008 for best instrumental composition on her album Concert in the Garden. This was her first collaboration with the Kronos Quartet. Schneider and the quartet were both in residence at Duke before their performance and gave lectures, held open rehearsals, visited music classes, and participated in conversations with Duke performance groups. They also appeared for a listening event and talk in downtown Durham as part of the residency. |
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