Gabriel Kahane | Attacca Quartet

I’ve known Nathan Schram of Attacca Quartet for almost a decade; he performed in the production of The Ambassador at BAM, and is a deeply soulful musician and person. Only last year did I work with Attacca for the first time through the Phillips Collection’s commission of my string quartet, Klee. Performances of Haydn and Caroline’s quartets were what got me hooked on Attacca. They’re the rare ensemble that is as polished and emotionally present in standard repertoire as they are in new works. Their dynamic relationship to tradition and “the new” is evident both in their discography, as well as in their fiercely intelligent concert programming. This is a conversation in its infancy, but I suspect that this program will run the gamut from standard repertoire to our collaborative work, which I hope will be made in some fashion akin to devised theater: sketches brought into a room, where play and experimentation will lead to something that couldn’t be written by a solitary composer.

—Gabriel Kahane, August 2022