In honor of Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch puppeteer Caroll Spinney's retirement from Sesame Street after nearly 50 years, we revisit Kronos Quartet's trip to that beloved street in 1987 to talk with Big Bird about the string quartet and making music. "His open and kind-hearted view of the world and how we should treat each other is something we should forever aspire to," Kronos says of Spinney, and we concur.

The Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA (CAP UCLA) has announced its 2018–19 season, and among the artists performing this season, at Royce Hall or the Theatre at Ace Hotel, are Emmylou Harris, Kronos Quartet, Pat Metheny, Tigran Hamasyan, Nico Muhly, and Thomas Bartlett. Subscriptions are on sale now; individual tickets go on sale July 16.

Washington Performing Arts has announced its 2018–19 concert season, and among the performers the organization will present at various venues in the Washington, DC, area next season are Jeremy Denk (Kennedy Center Terrace Theater, January 29; Strathmore with Joshua Bell and Steven Isserlis, May 1), Kronos Quartet (Sixth & I, March 2), and Rhiannon Giddens (Sixth & I with Lara Downes, February 23).

Laurie Anderson and Kronos Quartet's new album Landfall was reviewed on NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross. Fans can hear Kronos "explode their range" on the new album, says reviewer Milo Miles. He also notes "the unprecedented mixture of strings and electronics guided by Anderson's unmistakable voice." The album results "from years of practicing, performing, refining and tweaking the collaborations," Miles concludes. "You can hear how the time and care have paid off." You can listen to the complete review here.

Laurie Anderson was the guest on CBC's Q. She spoke with host Tom Power about her experience of Hurricane Sandy when it hit New York City in October 2012 and about finding hope in loss. They also discuss the work it inspired: Landfall, her new album with Kronos Quartet; and her new book, All the Things I Lost in the Flood. You can listen to the conversation below.

Laurie Anderson and Kronos Quartet’s Landfall is out now. Inspired by her experience of Hurricane Sandy, Landfall is the first collaboration between the iconic storyteller/musician and the groundbreaking string quartet, who perform together on the recording. Landfall juxtaposes lush electronics and traditional strings by Kronos with Anderson's powerful descriptions of loss, from water-logged pianos to disappearing animal species to Dutch karaoke bars. The Washington Post calls it "riveting, gorgeous."

Laurie Anderson and Kronos Quartet's first collaboration, Landfall, due February 16, is streaming in full till then as an NPR First Listen. In the piece, inspired by Anderson's experience of Hurricane Sandy, "she doesn't revisit the storm so much as ruminate—sometimes with dry wit—on the idea of how we handle loss," says NPR's Tom Huizenga. "With a dream-like blend of electronics, acoustic instruments, high-tech software and voice overs, she searches for meaning in the mystery of it all."

Laurie Anderson and Kronos Quartet have shared a fourth track from their forthcoming album, Landfall: "CNN Predicts a Monster Storm." The video for the song premiered via The Quietus, which spoke with Anderson and Kronos's David Harrington about this "first recording collaboration between two of contemporary music’s most renowned figures." Watch the video here.

IndieWire has published its list of The 25 Best Movie Scores of the 21st Century, including five for which Nonesuch released the soundtrack: Philip Glass's score to Stephen Daldry's 2002 film The Hours; Clint Mansell's for Darren Aronofsky's 2006 film The Fountain, performed by Kronos Quartet and Mogwai; and three scores to Paul Thomas Anderson films—Jon Brion's for 2002's Punch-Drunk Love, and Jonny Greenwood's for 2007's There Will Be Blood and the just-released Phantom Thread. IndieWire says "the last 18 years have given us some of the most memorable music ever written for the movies."

Laurie Anderson and Kronos Quartet have shared two new tracks from their forthcoming album, Landfall: "The Water Rises" and "Our Street Is a Black River." Both can be downloaded now with pre-orders of the album, along with the previously released album track "We Learn to Speak Yet Another Language." Nonesuch Store pre-orders also include an exclusive, limited-edition print autographed by Anderson. The new songs can also be heard on Apple Music, Spotify, and in the video here.

Laurie Anderson and Kronos Quartet’s Landfall is due February 16, 2018. The piece, which was inspired by Anderson’s experience of Hurricane Sandy, is the first collaboration between the artists, who perform together on the recording. Landfall juxtaposes lush electronics and strings with Anderson’s powerful descriptions of loss, from water-logged pianos to disappearing animal species to Dutch karaoke bars. The Washington Post calls it "riveting, gorgeous." Pre-order to download a track now and get a limited-edition print autographed by Anderson.

Kronos Quartet, which released an album of Folk Songs with four Nonesuch label mates in June, has announced its concert season for the autumn of 2017. On the schedule ahead are travels to Singapore, South Korea, and throughout the US and Canada, as well as multiple shows in and around the quartet's hometown of San Francisco.