the kronos (string) quartet

In 1985, the Kronos String Quartet performed 'None Of The Above', a piece by Frank Zappa. Zappa had been commisioned to write a piece for the ensemble. At that time, the Kronos String Quartet consisted of:

• David Harrington: violin
• John Sherba: violin
• Hank Dutt: alto
• Joan Jeanrenaud: cello

It was performed on several occasions:

• 1985/04/08    kpfa radio show "morning concert", berkeley, ca, usa; the quartet played the first movement of frank zappa's 'none of the above'.  this was followed by a synclavier version and a conversation about the work.
  
• 1985/04/12 concert 'herbst theatre, san francisco, usa
      'none of the above' (frank zappa)    = world premiere
  
• 1985/04/19    concert 'schoenberg hall', ucal, los angeles, usa
      'none of the above' (frank zappa)
  
• 1985/04/28 concert arhus, denmark
      'none of the above' (frank zappa)    = a shorter version

In 2009 the Kronos Quartet performed Zappa material at the "NEA Opera Honors".

• 2009/11/14 concert "NEA Opera Honors" - conducted by John Adams
  • incl. 'Yellow Shark' excerpts (Frank Zappa)

random notes

2009/11/04 by Hoodoo

National radio broadcast of NEA's opera awards will elude L.A.

November 4, 2009 | 5:30 am

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2009/11/john-adams-and-marilyn-horne-win-nea-opera-honorees-awards-.html

There will be a recurring California motif at the National Endowment for the Arts' second annual NEA Opera Honors ceremony on Nov. 14 -- but there are no plans for the national radio broadcast of the musical proceedings and award presentations to grace Southern California's airwaves. 
Composer John Adams, who is based in the Bay Area and has close ties to the Los Angeles Philharmonic, [snip]

[snip]

Among Adams' selections for the festival dedicated to California's classical music scene are a Dudamel-conducted program of "City Noir" and Esa-Pekka Salonen's "L.A. Variations," a new-music program featuring the Kronos Quartet, in which Adams will conduct excerpts from Frank Zappa's "Yellow Shark," and a "Songs of the Sun" concert by L.A. pop music eminences Brian Wilson and Dave Alvin.