Kronos Quartet: Tiny Desk Concert

Why It Matters

The performance shows how elite ensembles can mobilize music to spotlight activism while providing free, accessible repertoire, amplifying NPR's cultural influence and expanding opportunities for creators worldwide.

Key Takeaways

• Kronos dedicates set to global protestors demanding dignity
• Performed Neil Young's "Ohio" highlighting social justice themes
• Showcased "50 for the Future" free compositions for worldwide musicians
• Presented "Strange Fruit", linking historic protest music to modern audiences
• Closed with climate-change inspired piece "Hu Jan" from Indonesia

Summary

The Kronos Quartet performed a Tiny Desk Concert for NPR Music, framing the show as a tribute to activists and a showcase of socially conscious repertoire.

The set opened with a haunting rendition of Neil Young's protest anthem "Ohio", followed by a newly commissioned work by Canadian composer Nicole Lise from the quartet's "50 for the Future" initiative, which offers 50 free, downloadable pieces to musicians worldwide.

A centerpiece of the program was the historic protest song "Strange Fruit", famously sung by Billie Holiday, underscoring the quartet's link between past and present struggles. The concert closed with "Hu Jan", a climate-change inspired composition by Indonesian composer Penny Chanderini, illustrating Kronos's commitment to global issues.

By pairing high-profile protest music with free, open-source compositions, Kronos leverages its platform to amplify social movements, support emerging composers, and reinforce NPR's role as a cultural catalyst.

Original Description

Tom Huizenga | March 23, 2026

We rarely invite the same band back to the Tiny Desk. But the beloved Kronos Quartet, which first played our offices 12 years ago, isn't the same band. Three of the four members are brand new: Cellist Paul Wianko succeeded Suny Yang; violinist Gabriela Diaz and violist Ayane Kozasa replaced retiring original members John Sherba and Hank Dutt.

The newly rejuvenated quartet, still under the durable leadership of violinist and founder David Harrington, appears to be having more fun than ever. And it shows in these vigorous performances of pieces that are whimsical and socially conscious.

Neil Young wrote "Ohio" in the wake of the Kent State shootings in 1970, and Wianko's new arrangement, with its jolts of defiance, reverberates disturbingly today. A similar urgency pervades Billie Holiday's staple "Strange Fruit," which Harrington views as "the centerpiece of American music." The quartet arrangement struts a melodramatic introduction that gracefully slips into the song's languid despondency.

With over 1200 commissions of new pieces and arrangements, Kronos hasn't lost its indefatigable drive to champion new music, including that of Canadian composer and video artist Nicole Lizée. Another Living Soul asks Kronos for more than strings. The effects of whirly tubes, groan tubes, bells and vocalizing, lend a playful feel. The composer describes the piece as "stop animation for string quartet."

Kronos closes with commissioned music from Indonesian composer Peni Candra Rini, who includes the sounds of nature in "Hujan" (Rain), a piece which, despite its relaxed groove, laments climate change.

For over 50 years, Kronos has re-taught us how to listen to music, opening our ears to sounds from across the world, continually posing the question: What should a string quartet be in the 21st century?

SET LIST

Neil Young (arr. Wiancko): "Ohio"

Nicole Lizée: Another Living Soul

Abel Meeropol (arr. Garchik): "Strange Fruit"

Peni Candra Rini (arr. Garchik): "Hujan" (from Segara Gunung)

MUSICIANS

David Harrington: violin

Gabriela Diaz: violin

Ayane Kozasa: viola

Paul Wiancko: cello

TINY DESK TEAM

Producer: Tom Huizenga

Director/Editor: Maia Stern

Audio Engineer/Mix: Neil Tevault

Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter

Videographers: Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame

Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai

Production Assistants: Dhanika Pineda, Alina Edwards

Photographer: Bronson Arcuri

Tiny Desk Team: Ashley Pointer, Josh Newell

Series Editor: Lars Gotrich

Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed

Executive Director: Sonali Mehta

Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton

#nprmusic #tinydesk #kronosquartet

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