The work was commissioned by the Kronos Quartet who premiered the piece on January 22, 2005 in the Barbican Centre, London.
She described her inspiration and the composition process in the score program notes, writing:I explored using instruments to create unexpected textures and sounds in much the same way that I have worked with the voice over many years.
During the rehearsal period, as I got to know the players, the music came to life in surprising ways, colored by the distinctive "voice" of each musician.
[1]The work has a duration of roughly 18 minutes and is composed in four movements:[1] Reviewing the world premiere, Tom Service of The Guardian praised Stringsongs, writing, "[Monk's] music sidesteps traditional string quartet forms to create a work of mysterious, mythic power.
"[2] Nadia Sirota of WQXR-FM similarly lauded, "Her first string quartet, the piece explores texture and raw emotion that achieves maximum impact with minimum components.