Brooklyn Rider: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

It's hard to know what will happen when the string quartet Brooklyn Rider starts playing. Yes, these four guys love to play Debussy and Brahms, but they're just as likely to team up with a singer-songwriter or a Kurdish kamancheh player. Or write their own music.
So we weren't sure what they'd do when they stopped by Bob Boilen's desk to play a Tiny Desk Concert in the NPR Music offices. What we got was a bracing sample of their visceral fire, beginning with a saucy Armenian dance by an orthodox priest named Komitas - one of the pieces they picked up during their travels with Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble.
The next piece is proof that inspiration can come from almost anywhere - even, as Brooklyn Rider violinist Colin Jacobsen sheepishly admits, a "bouncy-ball" with a wildly unpredictable second bounce. He wrote the piece as a companion to music by Debussy. And finally, the piece we were anxiously anticipating: Brooklyn Rider's theme song of sorts, "Ascending Bird." It's Jacobsen's stunning arrangement of a Persian folk song that goes back thousands of years.

[@theclarinetguy16]

I love this string quartet. I heard them live at Sewanee Summer Music Festival years ago. They've been an inspiration for me ever since!

[@edemardil]

Ascending Bird is one of my most favorite pieces of art ever made....

[@AylinzAraz]

The piece 'Vagharshapat Dance' by Komitas (the first piece they start off with) is one of my favorite and is played by them wonderfully. Thank you.

[@ellieglorioso921]

Just got to perform for them today. They're so amazing!

[@zinja0830]

11 years later, and this performance of Ascending Bird still sticks with me.

[@Technodreamer]

I just randomly turned on WNYC in the car a bit ago, and heard these fine fellows playing with Martin Hayes - they've made one new fan for certain. Wonderful!

[@dngrn]

They play with conviction. Bravo!

[@MBrusaZappellini]

incredible- moved to tears- I love when artists throw themselves into their passion and I really love seeing a string Quartet with facial hair and grungy t's :-)

[@Jcc515]

Maaaaaaan I could be more thankful with this tiny desk concerts, made my day, the rest of the week and probably most of the following months

[@Shosty77]

Thank you for inspiring all musicians so much!!

[@giovannif23]

Sounds like an amazing soundtrack to life...BRAVO! This music takes my imagination in so many directions and I love it.

[@Henry92RLC]

These guys came to my All County rehearsal yesterday to help us out. The guy with the beard helped out my section. They also performed for us. It was fun.

[@ekovv]

These guys are absolutely nuts and I love it.

[@gatoebrio1]

just heard them today... they are brilliant, thank you!

[@LuisCaballero]

Mi cuarteto favorito, los vi por primera vez en México y son increíbles.

[@Takarafire]

This is so awesome!!

[@writer2005]

Just heard these wonderful musicians on Garrison Keillor's show tonight. They've got another fan now

[@AndrewBritton]

Writer200 Totally agree! Have you found the song they played tonight... I think they called it "Little Bird?"

[@writer2005]

I haven't. I heard the song they played to send off the show there at the end and I loved it!

[@sealwyf]

I heard them in the same place -- I hadn't run into this group before, so today I'm chasing them down on Amazon and KZbin.

[@aaronschuerr6398]

Incredible!!

[@sjsung]

Thank you so much for a great experience. I learned a lot about music in ways I hadn't thought of before! (From ASIJ HS Strings)

[@ssp1983]

Really beautiful

[@Ddsghhh]

just saw these fellas in HK-so wonderful.

[@AlyshTube]

you guys rock...

[@Takarafire]

The string force is strong with this one!!!!!

[@theclarinetguy16]

Takarafire Haha, indeed.

[@saamr1876]

Beautiful Persian Music. Well done guys. I enjoyed.

[@hrachyaabrahamyan7538]

Saam Arvan it’s not Persian😄 It’s Komitas Armenian music

[@GrowlingPuppet]

amazing

[@paulflute]

WOW...!!!

[@surpkarapet]

Top !!

[@nacaa8206]

I found this by random chance. I know nothing about music except what I like. I like this... and it reminds me a bit of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones; I also like Flight of the Cosmic Hippo. Does that connection make any sense to any of you at all?

[@AnnasMamaLlama]

Wow.

[@MarkOhanesian]

The first song is "Erangi" by Gomidas

[@Henry92RLC]

They played "Ascending Bird" for us.

[@IamDarkStar2012]

OMG Fiddlers on da roof!

[@jiugi77]

When can I buy their album???

[@umrux5]

And you inspire artists as well (see comment below) a joy to hear AND WATCH !!!!!!!! Barbara Rothenberg

[@KERRYBARTRABER]

Did he just say a bird? that flies to the sun??

[@NicoTT33]

13:06 Ascending Bird

[@mamoshkhan]

This is Persian Music.