Kronos Quartet & Tonality Perform Michael Abels' AT WAR WITH OURSELVES At The Wallis

Kronos Quartet, one of the most innovative and influential string ensembles of our time, alongside National Book Award-winning poet Nikky Finney and Grammy Award-winning choral ensemble Tonality, will perform At War With Ourselves: 400 Years of You, a powerful, evening-length song cycle composed by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Michael Abels, at The Wallis on February 15, 2025.

Incorporating text from Finney's poem “The Battle of and for the Black Face Boy,” this landmark collaboration blends music, poetry and vocals to explore key moments in history, addressing the African American experience, race, justice, and civil rights. With Abels’ distinctive composition, Finney’s evocative text, and Tonality’s stirring vocals, At War With Ourselves offers a deeply personal and thought-provoking exploration of history, identity, and the ongoing struggle for equality.

This performance of At War With Ourselves marks the Los Angeles debut of the two new members of Kronos Quartet, Gabriela Díaz, violin, and Ayane Kozasa, viola.

The origin of the work begins with Finney’s powerful acceptance speech for the 2011 National Book Award, which she received for her poetry collection “Head Off & Split.” The speech, which went viral, is regarded as one of the most memorable and impactful moments in the award's history. In it, Finney reflected on African American history and the resilience of those who fought for literacy and justice. She paid tribute to enslaved individuals who risked everything to learn to read and connected their struggle to her own role as a poet. Delivered with emotional resonance and elegance, her speech celebrated the transformative power of language and storytelling.

In his program note, D. Scot Miller writes, “The seeds of the project were planted a decade ago. ‘One night in 2011, I was watching the National Book Awards, and they were honoring the winner of the poetry award, Nikky Finney,” recalled Kronos’ Artistic Director, David Harrington. “I was all by myself watching her acceptance speech, just weeping.’  In her opening remarks, Finney pays homage to ‘the ones who longed to read and write, but were forbidden, who lost hands and feet, were killed, by laws written by men who believed they owned other men. [...] If my name is ever called out,’ she says, ‘I promised my girl-poet self, so too would I call out theirs.’”

Indeed, throughout the development of the project and beyond, the number of Black lives stolen by American law enforcement has continued to surge. Harrington remembers a particular meeting in Maryland that happened to coincide with yet another police killing of a young Black man: “Just as we were right in the middle of thinking about how this project would take shape as an experience, it seemed like, ‘Here our society goes again and again...’” An urgent matter continually becoming more urgent still.”

After an eight-year journey of development, ultimately leading to a commission for an 80-minute score for quartet, choir, and Finney reading her own words, At War With Ourselves premiered in 2021 in Austin—400 years after Africans first arrived in America. 

In Finney’s words, the work is addressed to “both black and white, both enslaved and free, bystander and non-bystander. We were then and now, At War With Ourselves. All of us, one human battlefield.”

Abels, whose compositions often address social issues and give voice to the Black experience, brings a deep sense of personal and cultural awareness to his work. “The imagery and references in Nikky’s poetry are so rich, I was able to create a complete song cycle from a poem that is essentially a single page,” said Abels. “To find the rhythm and meaning of Nikky’s language, I meditated on each stanza individually. I researched her references to ‘traffic lights’ and ‘ironing boards’ to educate myself on the history. The piece incorporates stylistic elements of many of the most iconic American music genres, from folk to Dixieland to Jimi Hendrix, and the sounds of The Great American Songbook.”

Abels’ line-by-line approach to composing the piece naturally complemented Kronos Quartet’s capacity to transcend genres, while also reflecting words and passages that resonated deeply for him.

Abels continues, “At War With Ourselves delves into the complexities of our history and identity, particularly reflecting on the fight for equal opportunity faced by individuals and societies. Collaborating with the Kronos Quartet, Tonality, and Nikky Finney has brought this work to life in a way that honors its depth and its hope to inspire meaningful dialogue with ourselves and with each other.”

It was important to Abels that the choir performing At War With Ourselves reflect the diversity and versatility essential to the piece, with significant Black representation—a value aligned with Tonality’s mission to inspire, innovate, and spark social change through the power of diversity.

Tonality first performed At War With Ourselves in 2022 in Phoenix, AZ, and later in 2023 in Iowa and Virginia. The performance at The Wallis will be the first time Tonality founder Alexander Blake will conduct the work. 

“It is a true honor to conduct a work so meaningful to Tonality and to collaborate once again with Michael Abels, the Kronos Quartet, and Nikky Finney,” said Blake. “This piece is incredibly important—it sparks essential conversations that remain relevant today. Tonality has embarked on many concerts and compositions that help us confront an honest and accurate history of America and how we’ve treated one another. To me, this allows us to move forward with both pride and patriotism, acknowledging where we are and where we need to go. At War With Ourselves continues the conversation about how we truly see one another. It not only reflects the struggles of Black people but also celebrates their beauty and contributions to this country. Nikky’s words and Michael’s diverse composition come together beautifully to reflect the totality of this experience."

At War With Ourselves – 400 Years of You was commissioned by the Kronos Performing Arts Association, funded in part by a Hewlett Foundation 50 Arts Commission and the MAP Fund, in partnership with ASU Gammage at Arizona State University, Hancher Auditorium–The University of Iowa, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts/University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, SFJAZZ, Texas Performing Arts at the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of South Carolina.

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