Two concerts this weekend are testament to how cool and intriguing the Bay Area’s contemporary music scene is.
The world-renowned Kronos Quartet performs in San Jose and Eco Ensemble performs to Berkeley. Here’s a look.
Kronos: The Bay Area string quartet is continuing its 50 for the Future campaign, commissioning 50 compositions that are meant to create a musical foundation to help lead string quartets and chamber groups into the 21st century of contemporary music. On Feb. 28, the quartet comes to the Harker School in San Jose to perform such 50 for the Future works as Aleksandra Vrebalov’s “My Desert, My Rose,” Nicole Lizée’s “Another Living Soul,” Philip Glass’s “Quartet Satz,” and Michael Gordon’s “Clouded Yellow,” among other pieces.
Details: 7 p.m.; $15-$25; kronosquartet.org.
Eco Ensemble: The UC Berkeley-based new music group formed in 2011 to champion music by current and emerging composers from around the world. The group on Feb. 29 performs a program including works by Bay Area composer Myra Melford, Ken Ueno, Cindy Cox, Keeril Makan, and Edmund Campion, in a concert presented by Cal Performances.
Details: 8 p.m.; Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley; $12-$24; calperformances.org