Kronos Quartet

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

For 50 years, San Francisco’s Kronos Quartet has reimagined what the string quartet experience can be. One of the most celebrated and influential groups of our era, Kronos has given thousands of concerts worldwide, released more than 70 recordings, and collaborated with many of the world’s most accomplished composers and performers across many genres. Kronos has received more than 40 awards, including three Grammys and the Polar Music, Avery Fisher, and Edison Klassiek Oeuvre Prizes.

Through its nonprofit organization, Kronos Performing Arts Association (KPAA), Kronos has commissioned more than 1,100 works and arrangements for quartet. KPAA also manages Kronos’ concert tours, local performances, recordings, and education programs, and produces an annual Kronos Festival in San Francisco. In its most ambitious commissioning effort to date, KPAA has recently completed Kronos Fifty for the Future. Through this initiative, Kronos has commissioned—and distributed online for free—50 new works for string quartet designed for students and emerging professionals, written by composers from around the world. 

Indonesian-born pianist, composer, and producer Lifia Teguh captivates audiences with her inventive fusion of genres, intertwining traditional Indonesian sounds with blues, classical, and pop music. Known for her originality, Lifia’s work has garnered international attention. Her piano quartet, Liber Dangdut, was featured at the College Music Society's National Conference in New York, celebrating her artistry on an international platform.

Lifia’s talent earned her first place in the PSU Concerto Competition, which led to her debut with the Corvallis-OSU Symphony Orchestra in the U.S playing Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major. She has also performed live frequently for Thursdays @ Three on All Classical Portland Radio, where her vibrant personality and musicality shine. As a featured composer in Fear No Music’s Locally Sourced Sounds VII, she captivated audiences with Imagine Indonesia, a piece that reimagines piano sounds to mimic traditional Indonesian instruments like the gamelan and rindik as well as capturing the traditional kecak dance of Bali.

Having recently graduated in Music Technology and Digital Media from the University of Toronto, Lifia also holds Master’s degrees in Piano Performance & Collaborative Piano. Lifia is currently working on her second album, a genre-bending fusion of diverse musical styles.

Lifia Teguh is generously supported by the Banff Centre Artists' Awards.

Andrew Li is an emerging multimedia artist, composer, musician, and developer whose work seamlessly bridges the worlds of music, technology, and visual storytelling. Originally from Hong Kong and now based in Toronto, Andrew has built a reputation for his innovative approach to creative media.

As the composer, sound designer, and co-developer for the game ‘Meow Tunes’, Andrew played a pivotal role in its Honourable Mention for Technical Innovation at the Toronto Level Up Showcase 2023. His sound design and compositions for animations include award-winning projects such ‘Red’, which won the Digital Creativity award for the 22nd DigiCon6 Asia Animation Competition, and ‘Exit’, which earned an Honourable Mention at the Taiwan International Student Design Competition and the film has amassed over 80,000 views on YouTube.

Beyond his accolades, Andrew’s versatility shines in his live performances, videography, and development. From performing for Thursday @ Three on All Classical Portland Radio to developing music educational platforms like ‘No Need to Vanish’, funded by Canada Council for the Arts, his expertise leaves an indelible mark on every project.

Graduated with a Master in Music Technology and Digital Media from the University of Toronto, Andrew is working on his second album that combines visual media and music.

Andrew Li is generously supported by the Banff Centre Artists' Awards.

Elissa began her piano studies at the age of 4, enrolling in the Sulhi al Wadi Conservatory in Syria. After earning a 10-year degree with honors, she continued her education at the Higher Institute of Music in Damascus under Professor Victoria Snobar. She later moved to Montreal to attend McGill University, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance under Professor Kyoko Hashimoto in 2023, receiving the Anna Paull Gertler Scholarship in Music.

Elissa has collaborated with the Al Farah Choir in France (2016), with Eyad Al Rimawi in Syria (2017), and gave a solo concert at the Damascus Opera House (2021). She also participated in the Domaine Forget de Charlevoix International Music and Dance Academy's 2023 New Music session, and performed with Le Vivier in 2023 and 2024, as well as at the Outaouais en fête music festival (2024).

Elissa is an RCM-certified piano teacher, currently working at the Coopérative des Professeurs de Musique de Montréal. She founded a workshop series through McGill’s Community Engagement Project, focused on spreading Arabic music in Montreal.
 

Elissa Nakhleh is generously supported by the Banff Centre Artists' Awards.

Maddalena Ohrbach (she/her) is an Italian-American multidisciplinary singer. She received her Bachelor’s from the Peabody Institute, studying with Ah Young Hong funded by the Rosa Ponselle Scholarship in Voice. In college, she served as a Technology Fellow and Inspired Aging Fellow, contributing to the ear-training curriculum and accessibility awareness around elderly perception of music; she also premiered many works by living composers and worked as a collaborative pianist. Ohrbach has interned with Boulanger Initiative and Institute of Composer Diversity, researching and advocating for marginalized composers, and pulls inspiration from vocalists Julia Bullock and Pamela Z. She has sung with Buffalo Choral Arts Society, Harmonicham, regional invitationals including NAfME All-Eastern, and toured Europe as the featured soloist with American Music Abroad’s Honor Choir. She recently appeared at Opera McGill as Berthe in Weir’s Blond Eckbert and will soon premier a role in Gray’s Tax Opera and co-direct Sokolović’s Svadba. She has received the Fonds de recherche Québec (FRQ) grant, Segal AmeriCorps Education Award, and Peabody Launch Grant, among others. She lives in Montréal, Québec, where she pursues a Master’s at McGill University studying with Dominique Labelle and Michael McMahon, and she loves to cook and run along the Lachine Canal.

Maddalena Ohrbach is generously supported by the Banff Centre Artists' Awards.