Kronos Quartet

One of contemporary music’s favorite legends—right up there with Philip Glass driving a cab for a living while his Einstein on the Beach was being performed at the Met—is that the Kronos Quartet paid for its first commission with a bag of doughnuts. The piece was by Seattle composer Ken Benshoof, and the quartet’s first concert, with that and works by Bartok, Crumb, and Webern, took place at North Seattle Community College with current Seattle Symphony cellist Walter Gray as one of the founding members. That was in 1973. Since then, the Kronos’ career as just about the only chamber ensemble in America that even approaches household-word status has been based on its insatiable championing of new music—with over 650 commissions and a repertory that embraces Thelonious Monk, Thomas Tallis, Sigur Rós, and Bollywood composer R.D. Burman. For this Eastside concert, the current lineup of David Harrington, John Sherba, Hank Dutt, and Jeffrey Zeigler will play music by John Zorn, Terry Riley, and others. Kirkland Performance Center, 350 Kirkland Ave., Kirkland, 425-893-9900, kpcenter.org. $50. 7:30 p.m. GAVIN BORCHERT

Tue., Feb. 2, 7:30 p.m., 2010