2019 Composition Commission: Kronos Quartet

To celebrate Pete Seeger’s 100th birthday, the FreshGrass Foundation commissioned the world-renowned string ensemble Kronos Quartet to create Music for Change: Pete Seeger @ 100, a multi-artist exploration of Seeger’s musical legacy.

The group collaborated with composers such as Jacob Garchik and a host of guest vocalists and fellow musicians, including Aoife O’Donovan, Sam Amidon, and Lee Knight as they tip their hats to Pete — a man who, together with his wife, Toshi, employed his prominence and musical fortitude to advance human kindness and social action with an indefatigable dedication, deeply felt integrity, and humility that resonates across generations. These works were later made into the album Long Time Passing: Kronos Quartet & Friends Celebrate Pete Seeger (Smithsonian Folkways), which was released in October 2020.

In 2021, the album won Album of the Year at the Folk Alliance International Awards!

Check out a video of Kronos Quartet’s commission performance at the 2019 FreshGrass Festival in North Adams, MA. Learn more about this project from No Depression HERE. Read a review of this album from Folk Alley HERE.