Kontras Quartet & Kruger Brothers Blend Classical & Folk Music at NEIU - April 15 @ 7:30 PM

CHICAGO - April 7, 2016 - PRLog -- Bluegrass trio The Kruger Brothers will be joined by the Kontras String Quartet on April 15 as part of Northeastern Illinois University's Jewel Box Series.  They will perform music from their latest release, among other well-loved tunes. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Steinberg Fine Arts Center on main campus. Tickets are $25, $17.50, or $5.

In 2013, the Kontras Quartet commissioned Jens Kruger of the internationally renowned Kruger Brothers to write a brand new work for string quartet, banjo, guitar and bass.  The result is a beautiful hybrid of classical and American folk entitled Lucid Dreamer. The Kontras Quartet and Kruger Brothers recently released a recording of Lucid Dreamer, and it was nominated in three categories on the first-round ballot of the 2015 Grammy Awards.

About the Kruger Brothers:  Born and raised in Europe, brothers Jens (banjo and vocals) and Uwe Kruger (guitar and lead vocals) teamed up with bass player Joel Landsberg, a native of New York who also had an extensive musical upbringing in classical and jazz music, thus forming a trio that has been playing professionally since 1995. They moved to the U.S. in 2002 and are now based in North Carolina. In their ever-expanding body of work, the Kruger Brothers personify the spirit of exploration and innovation that forms the core of the American musical tradition. Their original music is crafted around their discerning taste, and the result is unpretentious, cultivated and delightfully fresh.

About the Kontras Quartet:  The "superb Chicago-based ensemble" (Gramophone Magazine) has been praised for its "enjoyable musical personality" (Fanfare Magazine) and "superlative artistry" (CVNC Arts Journal).  Kontras' performances have been heard on Performance Today, NPR's Concierto, PBS, TED, and the David Letterman Show, and they have recently performed to sold-out crowds at the Utah Arts Festival, Merlefest, the Farnsworth House, and Thalian Hall in NC. Kontras is currently in residence at Western Michigan University and Elmhurst College.

NEIU's Steinberg Fine Arts Center is located at 3701 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. Complimentary parking is available in Lot F and on levels 4 and 5 of the parking garage.  Call (773) 442-4636 or visit http://neiu.edu/tickets for more information.