The Turtle Island Quartet, since its inception in 1985, has been a singular force in the creation of bold, new trends in chamber music for strings. Winner of two Grammy Awards, Turtle Island fuses the classical quartet esthetic with contemporary American musical styles. Cellist nonpareil Yo-Yo Ma has proclaimed TIQ to be “a unified voice that truly breaks new ground – authentic and passionate – a reflection of some of the most creative music-making today.”

In addition to employing their signature groove-based rhythmic techniques to transform classic selections from the recording of Birth of the Cool such as Israel, Venus De Milo, and Jeru into jazz string quartet masterpieces, during this show the quartet will take a wide swath through the many other avenues traversed by these intrepid explorers of cool.

“When I saw Turtle Island in concert I knew instantly that these would be the best string players who have ever played the Stockbridge.  They are true masters of their craft.”  -Matt Cahoon, Director of Cultural Programming