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In 1998, a string quartet burst onto the New York City music scene, bringing with it the riches of conservatory scholarship and study, and also embracing the intensity of rock, the grooves of jazz and hip hop, the eclecticism of world-beat bands, and more.

We’re talking about ETHEL, the group that now includes cellist Dorothy Lawson, violist Ralph Farris, and violinists Corin Lee and Kip Jones. And in the decades since its beginnings, the group has fostered a dedication to collaboration and innovation that has seen it share stages and recordings with artists like David Byrne, Kurt Elling, Jake Shimabukura, Thomas Dolby and many more.

The group also elevates the musical world around it through a passion for performing new work by exciting contemporary composers. ETHEL has premiered nearly 200 new works in addition to its own compositions.

Now, decades after its beginnings, the group has taken its place as a trailblazing force in redefining contemporary concert music. In words from its mission statement:

ETHEL Loves adventure. ETHEL Tells stories. ETHEL Builds Community. ETHEL Connects souls. ETHEL Never stops reinventing itself. ETHEL Rocks

You’ll see today just how the group has wrung adjectives like “indefatigable and eclectic,” “vital and brilliant,” and “Infectiously visceral” from news sources no less venerable than The New Yorker and The New York Times.

Today's episode features the members of ETHEL, in an hour of great music and conversation. 

Learn more about them here: https://ethelcentral.org/