Kronos Quartet on May 2, 2026 | UCSB Arts & Lectures

Kronos Quartet
- David Harrington, violin 
- Gabriela Díaz, violin
- Ayane Kozasa, viola 
- Paul Wiancko, cello

Quentin E. Baxter, percussion 
Laura Ortman, Apache violin, amplified violin 
Wu Man, pipa

“The foremost ambassador of contemporary chamber music” Polar Music Prize Citation

“Kronos Quartet remains a living, breathing world-heritage site for music.” NPR

The game-changing Kronos Quartet presents a semi-staged, multisensory exploration of the histories of Indigenous, Gullah-Geechee and Chinese American communities in the United States. The first panel of this musical triptych features the visceral, gripping and poignant artistry of Apache violinist and composer Laura Ortman. The second panel highlights connections between Western African and American cultures nearly lost to history, centering on Lorenzo Dow Turner’s Amelia’s Song, Charlton Singleton and more, featuring Grammy-winning percussionist Quentin E. Baxter. Pipa virtuoso Wu Man and other guests join in the triptych’s final panel, featuring new music by Dai Wei, personal histories of Chinese Americans who expanded civil and immigrant rights in San Francisco, and more.