In-School Performances
“EXTRAORDINARILY SKILLED, PASSIONATE MUSICIANS.”
The New York Times
“THEY OWN THEIR MUSIC, AND WHEN THEY WANT IT TO ROAR, THEY ROAR.”
The Los Angeles Times
“VITAL AND BRILLIANT”
The New Yorker
Performance Highlights

05.25.13
Matt Haimovitz / Christopher O’Riley
Tannery Pond Concerts
New Lebanon, NY

05.29.13
Christopher O’Riley
Yoshi's 
San Francisco, CA 

Listen

ETHEL and Kaki King
Great Round Burn
The Fire Eater
excerpts from Music of the Sun - ETHEL / Robert Mirabal
Chant
Solo Native American Flute (Mirabal)
Arrival (Zarvos)
Run to the Sun (Mirabal)
Finale (Peterson / Mirabal / Osborne / Ybarra / ETHEL)
from the program Grace
String Circle No. 1 (Bunch)
Rounds (Zarvos)
Grandmother (Bilagody)
ETHEL solo
To Whom It May Concern: Thank You (Stewart)
Chai (Lawson)

Tours & Projects

Music of the Sun - Touring 13-14

with guest artist Robert Mirabal

For thousands of years humankind has turned toward the sun for inspiration, be it spiritual, philosophical, or poetic. Ancient sun myths from around the world continue to fascinate scholars and laypeople alike. In many Native American cultures each day begins with "running to the sun" - a fusion of spiritual and physical discipline -- a daily search for the sacred.

ETHEL, the pioneering string quartet, and GRAMMY® winning Native American flutist Robert Mirabal present a program inspired by the sun mythology of Native America. Using the instruments of the string quartet, Native American flutes (Tdoop - Pootse) and drums (Mooloo), as well as the spirited voices of students and community members, ETHEL and Mirabal unite to create a cross-cultural contemporary music event. This extraordinary collaboration grew out of the ETHEL/Mirabal work on TruckStop®, which premiered at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2008.

Included on the program are collaborations on Robert Mirabal’s compositions as well as arrangements of ancient Native American music for strings, flutes, percussion, and voices*. ETHEL presents complimentary original repertoire and the works of contemporary composers such as Marcelo Zarvos, John Luther Adams, and others.

*Optional repertoire calls for a local chamber choir of approximately 20 voices (SATB). Music will be provided by the ensemble.

Guest Artist Biography:
Musician, writer, singer and storyteller, Robert Mirabal is Native America's most dynamic and best-selling artist. In addition to the music and instruments he creates, he is also a celebrated painter, poet and playwright. He is the author of A Skeleton of a Bridge, a book of poetry, prose and short stories. Mr. Mirabal is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Award, three GRAMMY® awards and the New York Dance and Performer's "Bessie" Award for composition. www.starroadrecords.com