David Harrington reveals the philosophy behind Kronos Quartet's genre-defying repertoire and explains why the ensemble has "barely scratched the surface" after half a century.

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The Spotlight shines On David Harrington, founder and violinist of Kronos Quartet.

For fifty years, David has led one of the most adventurous musical ensembles on the planet. Kronos has commissioned over 1,100 works, collaborated with everyone from Philip Glass to Nine Inch Nails, and earned three Grammys along the way. Their recent "Hard Rain" project brought together nearly fifty artists worldwide to reimagine Bob Dylan's nuclear-age anthem, while the Library of Congress has just acquired David’s archive.

David shares stories from five decades of musical exploration and why he believes musicians must listen to the world and respond with purpose.

If you enjoyed this episode, check out my discussions with Dorothy Lawson, Philip Golub, and Lisa Pegher. All three are available on spotlightonpodcast.com.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Kronos Quartet + The Hard Rain Collective’s Hard Rain EP)

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00:01:20 Library of Congress Trifecta: Archive, Recording Registry, and Kluge Chair
00:08:43 The Power of Musical Discovery and Research
00:09:46 Meeting Dr. Carla Hayden and Family Connections to Libraries
00:12:07 Heroism in Public Service and Cultural Leadership
00:14:17 Confronting Dominant Narratives Through String Quartet
00:21:14 Balancing Innovation with Classical Tradition
00:25:58 Musical Archeology and Archival Sound Work
00:29:07 Game-Changing Pieces in Contemporary Music
00:33:16 The Commission Process: From Brief to Creative Freedom
00:39:30 Maintaining Long-term Relationships While Staying Open to New Voices
00:43:22 Telling the Whole Story: What Remains to Be Done

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Visit Kronos Quartet at https://kronosquartet.org
and follow them on Instagram → http://instagram.com/kronos_quartet
Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/kronosquartet
and YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/user/kronosquartet1

Purchase Kronos Quartet + The Hard Rain Collective’s 'Hard Rain EP' from Bandcamp → https://redhot.bandcamp.com/album/kronos-quartet-the-hard-rain-collective-ep
or Qobuz → https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/hard-rain-kronos-quartet-red-hot-org/e0nndpx5uy4rb
and listen on your streaming platform of choice → https://tr.ee/K8RpboWYQH

For extensive show notes, links, and podcast information, go to https://www.spotlightonpodcast.com

Be sure to check out The Tonearm, our new magazine site featuring fascinating perspectives and conversations with creative people → https://www.thetonearm.com

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