“A singular voice in music, and now in words. Crescendo is a searingly honest look at the classical music world from within and manages to be as funny and uplifting as it is devastating. The same vulnerability and power that makes Kreston such a compelling instrumentalist is equally commanding in her prose. This memoir is a necessary and insightful look at what makes being an artist, a woman, a mother, and all three at the same time so incredibly challenging, but worthwhile.”
—Ling Ling Huang, author of Immaculate Conception and Natural Beauty

“Anthea Kreston is a world-renowned violinist and an intense, endearing mess. She opens her life to us so vividly that we are actually with her, whirling through concerts, crises, and the seeming impossibility of working parenthood, loving life and finding it hard to breathe all at the same time. A lively and refreshing read.”
—Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO of New America, author of Unfinished Business

“Anthea Kreston writes with passion and an insider’s authority about life in a world-class string quartet. In prose that sometimes jumps off the page, she gives us detailed descriptions of her family life, her colleagues, her individual working process, the interactions of four distinct personalities and the music that binds them onstage and off in a never-ending quest for transcendence.”
—Eugene Drucker, Emerson String Quartet, author of The Savior

“Kreston—who demystifies the process of classical music through her popular blog—details the real lives of performers behind the scenes. This tale sparkles through hilarious exchanges, always taken with a light heart by the author.”
―Blair Tindall, author of Mozart in the Jungle: Sex, Drugs, and Classical Music

“I had only known Anthea as a superstar violinist with a dreamy career traveling the world with one of the most celebrated string quartets until I read Crescendo and felt like we were best friends, two cocktails in, catching up after years apart. She trusts us readers with the hardest and most meaningful parts of her life in stories that make me want to be a better musician, friend, and lover. What a badass!"
—Hunter Noack, pianist and founder of In a Landscape: Classical Music in the Wild