Coleman has written music outside of the jazz realm, including string quartets, music for dance, woodwind quintets, and in the early 1970s, a symphony called Skies of America, composed with support from his Guggenheim Foundation Grant.

NPR: Coleman's 'Grammar' Proves Prize-Worthy

The warmth and clarity of the guitar's plucked string sound allows this music to seem relaxed and complicated at the same time.

NPR: Bach In Translation: From Jazz Vocals To Electronic Blips

The group kicked off the session with a live performance of the finale from Dvorak's "American" String Quartet, a staple of the chamber-music repertoire that sounded fresh in this young group's hands.

NPR: Opening Day With The Escher String Quartet

Earlier in the month, the writer was at Carnegie Hall for an all-Brahms program by the mighty Emerson Quartet, and he also went to the Manhattan School of Music to attend the final event at the Robert Mann String Quartet Institute, led by the longtime first violinist of the Juilliard Quartet.

NEWYORKER: The Power of Four

On the Internet, I can manufacture my own philharmonic orchestra, with string sections and woodwinds playing my music from all over the world, as I did with my orchestral album " Circus in the Sky, " which is a full representation of my approach to music and storytelling.

CNN: The Internet was my music teacher

The Icelandic band Amiina has worked as a string quartet supporting Sigur Ros, but while their music shares roots with their geographic counterparts, the resulting blooms are startlingly different.

NPR: Amiina: A Dance of Sounds in Space

Rocker Patti Smith and US string group Kronos Quartet have received the 2011 Polar Music Prize.

BBC: Patti Smith and Kronos Quartet accept Polar music prize

Produced by Glasgow Unesco City of Music, the Benedetti Sessions, from 22 to 24 March, will give string players the chance to play alongside the violinist, who was awarded an MBE in the 2013 New Year Honours.

BBC: Scotland

On weekends, there are dance and music performances and films -- this month, catch "La Nave de los Monstruos" ("The Monsters' Ship"), a Mexican sci-fi classic, with music by postclassical string quartet Ethel.

CNN: Mass appeal in the Berkshires