The Grammy-winning Kronos Quartet and Chinese pipa virtuoso Wu Man will bring a fresh, innovative sound and some repertoire never before performed to Shanghai next weekend.

Grammy-winning Kronos Quartet. [Photo by en.wikipedia]

The performance will be Sunday at the Shanghai Concert Hall.

They will perform Terry Riley's "The Cusp of Magic " and Tan Dun's "Ghost Opera."

Premiered by Kronos and Wu in 2005, "The Cusp of Magic " was commissioned for the quartet in honor of the 70th birthday celebrations of Riley, "Father of Minimalism" and Kronos' long-time collaborator.

"Ghost Opera" by Oscar-winning composer Tan Dun is another work commissioned by the quartet and inspired by ancient tales.

As one of the most celebrated and influential ensembles of our time, the Kronos Quartet is comprised of violinists David Harrington and John Sherba, viola player Hank Dutt and cellist Jeff rey Zeigler. They have explored and expanded the range and context of the string quartet for more than 30 years.

They have commissioned hundreds of works and arrangements and garnered numerous awards, including a Grammy for Best Chamber Music Performance (2004) and "Musicians of the Year" (2003) from Musical America.

Kronos' adventurous approach dates back to the ensemble's origins. In 1973 David Harrington was inspired to form Kronos after hearing George Crumb's "Black Angels," a highly unorthodox, Vietnam War-inspired work featuring bowed water glasses, spoken word passages, and electronic effects.

The ensemble then went on to build a compellingly eclectic repertoire for string quartet, performing and recording works by 20th century masters, contemporary composers as well as jazz legends and rock stars.