Kronos Quartet returns to National Sawdust for a night dedicated to compositions that "Awaken the Future," including a world premiere by 2019 Hildegard Commission Winner and composer Niloufar Nourbakhsh, featuring a sound sculpture by Roxanne Nesbitt. Former quartet member and acclaimed cellist Jeffrey Zeigler will perform alongside the trailblazing contemporary music champions. The program also explores the fantastical worlds of Kronos friends Nicole Lizée, Peni Candra Rini, and Gabriella Smith. Smith's epic work "Keep Going" highlights the issues surrounding climate change, and celebrates those individuals who keep fighting for solutions and for our future.

SYML is the solo venture of Seattle artist Brian Fennell. Welsh for “simple”— he makes music that taps into the instincts that drive us to places of sanctuary, whether that be a place or a person.

SYML is the solo venture of Seattle artist Brian Fennell. Welsh for “simple”— he makes music that taps into the instincts that drive us to places of sanctuary, whether that be a place or a person.

A Dance for Birds is a nine-movement suite of music crafted by the visionary composer and percussionist, Samuel Torres. Showcasing his latin chamber ensemble featuring the Bergamot Quartet with special guest vocalist Lucía Pulido. A Dance for Birds tells a story of migration with the congas (the bird) as the narrator. This work brings Afro-Latin rhythms, jazz and classical music together, defying musical stereotypes and expanding the horizons of chamber music.

Student CoLab is National Sawdust’s flagship education program for middle school composers. This free concert is the culmination of the 4-month commissioning program, featuring performances by the students, including original music for voice, guitar, bandola, and cello, as well as electronics and visual art — all written and designed by the students.

No other solo American guitarist this century has impacted that fecund scene quite like William Tyler. After crucial stints in Silver Jews and Lambchop, this adopted son of Nashville emerged at the dawn of the last decade with a string of inquisitive albums that paired the measure of his country rearing and classical enthusiasm with his ardor for postmodern experimentation, field recordings and static drifts folded beneath exquisite melodies.