The contemporary music scene would sure have been a lot less interesting over the years without the Kronos Quartet doing its high-level advocacy.
The brilliant, ever-inquisitive ensemble has developed close ties to the University of Maryland's School of Music and the Clarice Smith Center, where there was a Kronos concert Sunday night featuring Steve Reich's new, 9/11-based piece (I couldn't make it, so if any of you were there, please send me your thoughts).
This week, you can catch what are billed as "free engagement events" at the center.
On Tuesday at 8, the Kronos Quartet will give a ...
public reading of works by student composers, which has got to be awfully cool for the composers and should be fascinating for the audience.
And, as a kind of prelude to Tuesday's event, at 5:30, Kronos artistic director David Harrington will give a public "listening party" -- he'll share some of the works he's considering for the group and discuss the process of choosing repertoire.
Free admission to both presentations.
PHOTO (by Jay Blakesberg) COURTESY OF CLARICE SMITH CENTER