A New Kind of Quartet

Declared “a dream group,” by The New York Times, and drawing from a deep well of musical passions and backgrounds, Owls, an inverted string quartet, defies expectations and labels with original, visceral, and personal performances. Each member is an artistic force in their own right; violinist Alexi Kenney, violist Ayane Kozasa, cellist Gabriel Cabezas and cellist-composer Paul Wiancko share an uncommonly fierce creative spirit which drives the quartet to challenge the way meaningful concert experiences are conceived. 

By weaving together new compositions with collaboratively generated arrangements of music ranging from the 1600s to the present, Owls' distinctive instrumentation allows them access to beautiful and exhilarating new sound worlds—effectively guaranteeing that each performance is uniquely theirs and without limits. 

The 2024/25 season sees the release of the group’s debut album, Rare Birds, out now on New Amsterdam. Supporting the release are performances at the University of Chicago, 92NY, Capital Region Classical in Albany, Celebrity Series of Boston, Tippet Rise in Montana, Cal Performances in Berkeley, Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, and Cal State University Sacramento.