Kronos Quartet has long been the go-to group for bridging the classical/chamber worlds and countless outside genres, and news that they’ve commissioned IDM innovator Amon Tobin to create a festival work is a sign that they’ve no intention of stopping.
The string quartet has collaborated with Tobin before on 2007’s Foley’s Roomand live as an opening act for ISAM Live. This latest teaming comes in the form of “V838 Monocerotis,” a new work written by Tobin to be performed by the quartet during its upcoming 40th anniversary season, starting with the free Stern Grove Festival in San Francisco on July 14.
And for your reference, the name refers to a star that, in 2002, momentarily became 600,000 times brighter than the Sun — so if the piece follows through on the name, it ought to be good.
Check out tour dates at Kronos Quartet’s website.