Owls is an inverted string quartet (two cellos instead of two violins) featuring an all-star lineup of renowned soloists: violinst Alexi Kenney, violist Ayane Kozasa, and cellists Gabriel Cabezas and Paul WIancko. Their debut album features six works by an eclectic range of composers, traditions, and eras including Owls’s own Paul Wiancko; Dan Trueman and Monica Mugan folk duo Trollstilt, Azerbaijani composer Franghiz Ali-Zadeh, 18th Century composer François Couperin; and progenitor of American minimalism Terry Riley.

Drawing on their experiences playing with groups such as the Kronos Quartet, yMusic, and Aizuri Quartet, Owls decided nothing would be off-limits for their ensemble. They built a shared playlist of tracks by their favorite musicians and collaboratively workshopped arrangements. This collective approach to arranging and interpreting their diverse material proved transformative and freeing for Owls. It also cemented their approach to all the decisions they make as a group, as they say in their liner notes: “All four of us must completely love everything we play.”