Established over 15 years ago, the American string quartet Brooklyn Rider is known for finding equal inspiration from the likes of late Beethoven, to Persian classical music, to American Roots. Though demonstrating a laudable commitment to living composers along the way, its refreshing mission statement proclaims “no allegiance to either end of the historical spectrum.”

Here, the quartet drew inspiration from “the four elements” to curate an ambitiously large and genre-diverse program, presented to a near full Elisabeth Murdoch Hall.

Brooklyn Rider. Photo © Marco Giannavola

Beginning with “Earth”, the quartet was clearly in its element with A Short While to be Here, penned by the quartet’s own Colin Jacobsen. The suite of five movements, based on American folk songs collected by Ruth Crawford Seeger, demonstrated a quartet thrillingly capable of weaving bluegrass-style melodies and rhythms with classical virtuosity and deliciously contrasting extended techniques. Not even Jacobsen’s E-String breaking midway could throw this triumphantly enjoyable performance.

A new work by Akshaya Tucker, Hollow Flame, continued the elemental theme. Opening with a stunningly effective exploration of negative space and barely perceptible sound effects, the work passed haunting melodic fragments like ripples on a...