Brooklyn Rider, Kayhan Kalhor and Mathias Kunzli

With their gripping performance style and unquenchable appetite for musical adventure, Brooklyn Rider has carved a singular space in the world of string quartets over their fifteen-year history. Defining the string quartet as a medium with deep historic roots and endless possibility for invention, they find equal inspiration in musical languages ranging from late Beethoven to Persian classical music to American roots music to the endlessly varied voices of living composers. Claiming no allegiance to either end of the historical spectrum, Brooklyn Rider most comfortably operates within the long arc of the tradition, seeking to illuminate works of the past with fresh insight while coaxing the malleable genre into the future through an inclusive programming vision, deep-rooted collaborations with a wide range of global tradition bearers, and the creation of thoughtful and relevant frames for commissioning projects.  

Kayhan Kalhor is an internationally acclaimed virtuoso on the kamancheh (spiked fiddle), who through his many musical collaborations has been instrumental in popularizing Persian around the world and is a creative force in today’s music scene. His performances of traditional Persian music and multiple collaborations have attracted audiences around the globe. He has studied the music of Iran’s many regions, in particular those of Khorason and Kordestan, and has toured the world as a soloist with various ensembles and orchestras including the New York Philharmonic and the Orchestre National de Lyon. He is co-founder of the renowned ensembles Dastan and Masters of Persian Music. Kalhor has composed works for Iran’s most renowned vocalists, and has also performed and recorded with Iran’s greatest instrumentalists. He has composed music for television and film, and was invited by John Adams to give a solo recital at Carnegie Hall as part of his Perspectives Series. Kayhan is an original member of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project, which he continues to compose for and tour with. His most recent albums include Silent City, collaboration with Brooklyn Rider and I Will Not Stand Alone with santoor player Ali Bahrami Fard. Kayhan has been nominated for three Grammys and in 2017 was awarded a Grammy with Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble (2017).

Hailing from Switzerland, multi-disciplined drummer/percussionist Mathias Kunzli currently splits his time between Los Angeles and New York City. He can be found performing around the globe in a variety of styles with artists and bands of many backgrounds. Additionally, his original work is featured in Film, TV and other multi-media platforms. Mathias has been Regina Spektor’s touring drummer since 2012, kicking off an arena tour as the opening act for the late Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Kunzli’s desire and ability to adapt to a wide range of musical styles have also enabled him to perform and record with artists such as Moby, Lauryn Hill, Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble,  Brooklyn Rider, and Magos Herrera, to name a few. National TV appearances in the US include:Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Colbert Report, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Late Late Show with James Corden, The Late Show with Stephan Colbert and Good Morning America. 

Co-presented by Schubert Club and the Walker Art Center.