The Grammy Award-winning Kronos Quartet will perform at the Newman Center Nov. 8 at 7:30 p.m. in collaboration with “Alternative Radio” host David Barsamian and environmental activist Diane Wilson.
Barsamian created “Alternative Radio,” a worldwide independent radio program, to bring issues and insights ignored by mainstream media sources into the public dialogue. For the upcoming performance, Barsamian will interview Wilson, who successfully forced the petrochemical industry to clean up the environmental pollution it had caused in her county on the Texas Gulf Coast.
Kronos Quartet transforms the dialogue between Barsamian and Wilson into a performance piece by periodically responding with music to the issues they discuss. The members of Kronos — David Harrington, John Sherba, Hank Dutt and Jeffrey Zeigler — decide on the musical program no more than 24 hours before each performance and often improvising on the spot. Barsamian has collaborated with the group for similar performances at Carnegie Hall in New York.
Harrington, Sherba and Dutt formed Kronos Quartet, with former member Joan Jeanrenaud, 30 years ago. The group has recorded more than 50 albums and commissioned hundreds of works, according to Steve Seifert, executive director of the Newman Center.
Some of Kronos’ most notable awards include being named “Musicians of the Year” by Musical America and winning a Grammy Award in 2004 for Best Chamber Music Performance.
Before the performance, Richard Slavich, a professor at the Lamont School of Music, will give the “Behind the Curtain” lecture at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets for the event are $52 for orchestra and parterre, $38 for mezzanine and $28 for balcony; ticket prices include parking.
Tickets can be purchased through Newman Center, Ritchie Center and TicketMaster box offices. For more information, call the Newman Center at 303-871-7720.