| ISPA 2025 Angel Award Recipient - Janet Cowperthwaite |
ISPA Award Recipient Janet Cowperthwaite2025 Angel Award Recipient Janet Cowperthwaite was the longtime manager of the Kronos Quartet and the founding Executive Director of the Kronos Performing Arts Association (KPAA), a San Francisco-based nonprofit, for 43 years. Frequently described as “the fifth Beatle,” Cowperthwaite played a pivotal role in the development and success of the Grammy-winning quartet and its organization. For more than four decades, she oversaw the commissioning of 1,100 works, the production of 75+ acclaimed recordings, and the planning and execution of thousands of performances around the world. Cowperthwaite was instrumental in creating innovative programs such as the Kronos Under 30 Project to support young composers and Kronos Fifty for the Future, a free library of 50 contemporary quartet works, for which she raised over $1M USD from more than 50 international partners. Pieces in the collection are widely performed and to date have been downloaded 40,000 times in 108 countries and territories. Cowperthwaite also had an important creative role producing many new works, including Terry Riley’s “Sun Rings”, “At War With Ourselves” by Michael Abels and Nikky Finney, “A Thousand Thoughts” by Sam Green, and Tan Dun’s “Ghost Opera.” In 2024, as a capstone to the group’s 50th anniversary, she led the effort to place the Archive at the Library of Congress, securing the Kronos/KPAA legacy. Throughout her career Cowperthwaite has enjoyed mentoring artists and arts organizations. She has served on dozens of panels, and on several boards, including International Society for the Performing Arts, American Music Center, and Association of Performing Arts Professionals. photo credit: Falu Bakrania |
