Turtle Island String Quartet photographed at The Fox Theater in Oakland, CA April 22, 2010(C)Jay Blakesberg Something old, something new 1/7/2011 By GARY DEMUTH Salina Journal As a young man, David Balakrishnan was a classical violinist who loved jazz, a bluegrass fiddler who grooved on swing, be-bop, rock music and the music of his father's native India. But when it came to forming his own musical identity, the Los Angeles native couldn't commit to one particular style. So he decided to ... Read More
Mix chats with David Balakrishnan about TIQ's latest CD
“Have You Ever Been…” Turtle Island Quartet Plays The Music of JIMI HENDRIX And The Music Of DAVID BALKRISHNAN Telarc Records Gary Eskow December 25th, 2010 David Balakrishan has a problem with the Turtle Island Quartet. Well, not really. The group, which he founded a quarter of a century ago, has won a pair of Grammy Awards in the last several years and their latest release “Have You Ever Been…?” is amassing critical praise. Robert Friedrich, who tracked, mixed, and mastered the project at ... Read More
A review of our 25th Anniversary Herbst Theatre SF gig
Examiner.com - San Francisco The Turtle Island Quartet has been giving concerts under the auspices of San Francisco Performances (SFP) since 1991 (back when they were known as the “Turtle Island String Quartet”); so an SFP gig at Herbst Theatre offered the most appropriate venue for their 25th Anniversary Concert. Furthermore, as Brent Assink, Executive Director of the San Francisco Symphony, said of the Symphony’s centennial season, when you have a big birthday, you want to invite all of ... Read More
San Fran Examiner talks to David about their Silver Anniversary concert – Dec 10th
Commemorating 25 years of Turtle Island By: Georgia Rowe 12/05/10 Special to The Examiner Since founding the Turtle Island Quartet, violinist David Balakrishnan has led the group on a wide-ranging musical journey through folk, jazz, Latin, bluegrass and other repertoires where traditional string quartets fear to tread. This month, though, he is returning to his roots, celebrating Turtle Island’s 25th anniversary with a new CD and a concert featuring the music of rock guitarist Jimi ... Read More
The Washington Post says the Turtles have "…astonishing versatility"
In performance: Turtle Island Quartet at 25 At twenty-five, the Turtle Island Quartet exists in a constant state of renewal. Founding members violinist David Balakrishnan and cellist Mark Summer welcome young second violinists and violist who are attracted by the sort of technical and improvisational opportunities the standard classical repertoire doesn't offer. They bring new ideas, new repertoire and amazing skills to the group, stay several years and then move on. The quartet's silver ... Read More
The Turtles talk 25 years on their Pink Section cover story!
At 25, Turtle Island Quartet turns back to Hendrix Jesse Hamlin, Special to The Chronicle Friday, December 3, 2010 In 1981, violinist David Balakrishnan began composing string quartet music that seamlessly merged the styles he loved: jazz, classical, bluegrass and Indian music. But who could play it? "I was writing for a string quartet that just didn't exist," says Balakrishnan, a UCLA-trained composer who grew up listening to Indian music, played with Stephane Grappelli and David Grisman, ... Read More
The Washington Post talks with the Turtles
Turtle Island Quartet to salute Jimi Hendrix and Charles Darwin on the same album. (Copyright Jay Blakesberg) By Mike Joyce Friday, December 3, 2010 TURTLE ISLAND QUARTET Here's something few groups could pull off: coupling an ingeniously arranged tribute to Jimi Hendrix with an original string ensemble suite honoring the life and work of Charles Darwin. Yes, musically speaking, it helps to be a little bipolar, says Turtle Island Quartet co-founder David Balakrishnan. Of course, being in a ... Read More
The Turtles take on the Nation's Capitol!
by Emily Cary When the Turtle Island Quartet plays, all the preconceived notions about string instruments are abolished and listeners are transported to an uncharted dimension. Two years after a jaw-dropping concert illustrating their "string theory," the virtuoso musicians return to George Mason University Center for the Arts with original pieces inspired by jazz musicians and even a scientist. Their guests, the outstanding jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut and Mike Marshall, the world-renowned ... Read More
Harrisburg gears up for Turtle Island – Dec 3rd
11/26/2010 EXCERPT Turtle Island Quartet: Turtle Island Quartet will make a stop on its 25th anniversary tour for a Live at Rose Lehrman performance at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3, in the Rose Lehrman Arts Center on the Harrisburg Campus of HACC. Guest musicians Mike Marshall (mandolin) and Cyrus Chestnut (piano) will accompany the group in a concert featuring a mix of jazz, folk and R&B styles with a flavoring of holiday tunes. David Balakrishnanin started the quartet in 1985 and it has been a ... Read More
David talks to the San Francisco Classical Voice
Musicians, like other species, mutate and adapt to survive — or, in the case of groups like the pioneering Bay Area–based Turtle Island String Quartet, simply because doing so captivates them and stirs the juices that got them going in the first place. Oh, yeah: Adding some screaming licks based on the most celebrated psychedelic-era musician of all time never hurts, either. This double-Grammy-Award-winning group is now celebrating its 25th anniversary with two San Francisco ... Read More
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