October 22, 2014: Innovative violinist David Harrington, founder of the visionary ensemble the Kronos Quartet, will be the speaker of the 2014 Lloyd and Constance Old Lectures on 21st-Century Music. This series of talks and debates by major cultural figures addresses the changing consumption, creation, context, and valuations of today’s music. The event will also feature a live performance of music selected by Harrington.

Harrington was inspired to form Kronos in 1973 after hearing a performance of Black Angels, an avante-garde piece by George Crumb. The new group quickly expanded into unconventional territory, performing renditions of songs by jazz artists, such as Ornette Coleman and Thelonious Monk, rock artists like Jimi Hendrix, as well as repertoire from past masters and contemporary composers. The group has worked closely with several prominent composers, including Terry Riley, Henryk Mikolaj Górecki, and Philip Glass, and has received numerous awards for their recordings and performances.

Click here to view a recording of the talk!