Anonymous 4

{{Short description|American female a cappella quartet}}

{{about|the singing group|the manuscript author|Anonymous IV}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Anonymous 4

| image = Anonymous 4 (8074312056) (cropped).jpg

| image_size =

| landscape = yes

| alt =

| caption = Anonymous 4 in October, 2012

| alias =

| origin =

| genre = A cappella, Medieval

| years_active = {{start date|1992}}–{{end date|2016}}

| label = Harmonia Mundi, Sony Classical Records

| associated_acts = Bruce Molsky, The Mountain Goats, Chilingirian Quartet, Christopher Tin

| website = {{URL|http://www.anonymous4.com/}}

| current_members = Marsha Genensky, Susan Hellauer, Ruth Cunningham, Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek

| past_members = Johanna Maria Rose

}}

Anonymous 4 was an American female a cappella quartet, founded in 1986{{cite web |title=Anonymous 4—About |url=https://www.anonymous4.com/about.html |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20241226192403/https://www.anonymous4.com/about.html |archivedate=2024-12-26}} and based in New York City. Their main performance genre was medieval music, although later they also premiered works by recent composers such as John Tavener and Steve Reich.{{cite web |date=2015-11-23 |title=Anonymous 4: Appearing and Disappearing » Early Music America |url=https://www.earlymusicamerica.org/emag-feature/anonymous-4-appearing-and-disappearing/ |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20241226190116/https://www.earlymusicamerica.org/emag-feature/anonymous-4-appearing-and-disappearing/ |archivedate=2024-12-26}}

The name of the group is a pun on the name used to refer to an anonymous English music theorist of the late 13th century, Anonymous IV, who is the principal source on the two famous composers of the Notre Dame school, Léonin and Pérotin.

Anonymous 4 performed in cities throughout North America, and were regulars at major international festivals. The 2003–2004 season was their last as a full-time recording and touring ensemble, but they continued to tour and make recordings while pursuing individual projects.

The group collaborated with the Chilingirian Quartet on their 2003 album Darkness Into Light and The Mountain Goats on their 2012 album Transcendental Youth as well as with Christopher Tin in 2009 on his album Calling All Dawns, and in 2014 on The Drop That Contained the Sea.{{cite web |date=2012-03-23 |title=The Ecstatic Music Festival: The Mountain Goats And Anonymous 4 : NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/2012/03/23/148782993/the-ecstatic-music-festival-the-mountain-goats-and-anonymous-4 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20241226192158/https://www.npr.org/2012/03/23/148782993/the-ecstatic-music-festival-the-mountain-goats-and-anonymous-4 |archivedate=2024-12-26}}

The CD 1865, which features songs from the Civil War with Bruce Molsky on guitar, fiddle, banjo, and vocals was their final recording. The ensemble disbanded at the end of the 2015–2016 season.{{cite web |date=2014-05-13 |title=Anonymous 4: Breaking Up Is Hard To Do (But They're Doing It) |url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/deceptivecadence/2014/05/13/311087203/anonymous-4-breaking-up-is-hard-to-do-but-theyre-doing-it |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241226190525/https://www.npr.org/sections/deceptivecadence/2014/05/13/311087203/anonymous-4-breaking-up-is-hard-to-do-but-theyre-doing-it |archive-date=2024-12-26 |accessdate= |publisher=National Public Radio}}