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Photo: Pascal Perich & Julien Jourdes

Bang on a Can

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Bang on a Can was started in 1987 by co-artistic directors Michael Gordon, David Lang and Julia Wolfe. Since that time they have presented hundreds of musical events in New York City, including opera, shadow puppet theatre and Bang on a Can Marathons. From humble beginnings a quarter of a century ago, Bang on a Can has grown into a major force in the presentation of new music, with multiple touring productions and new multi-media performances such as A House in Bali, Carbon Copy Building, ShadowBang, Lost Objects and The New Yorkers.

BANG ON A CAN ALL-STARS

Founded in 1992, the Bang on a Can All-Stars quickly forged a distinct identity and have come to be known worldwide for their ultra-dynamic live performances and recordings of today’s most innovative music. Freely crossing the boundaries between classical, jazz, rock, world and experimental music, this six-member amplified ensemble from New York plays music from uncharted territories, defying categories, and has shattered the definition of what concert music is today. The group’s celebrated projects and collaborations include their landmark recordings of Brian Eno’s ambient classic Music for Airports and Terry Riley’s In C, as well as live performances with Philip Glass, Meredith Monk, Don Byron, Iva Bittova, Thurston Moore, and others. The All-Stars were awarded Musical America’s Ensemble of the Year in 2005 and have been heralded as “the country’s most important vehicle for contemporary music” by the San Francisco Chronicle. Recent highlights include the world premiere of Steve Reich’s 2x5 at the 2009 Manchester Festival, sharing the bill with legendary German electronica pioneers Kraftwerk; the group’s China debut at the Beijing Music Festival; the US tour and Carnegie Hall performance of Julia Wolfe’s Steel Hammer, an evening-length staged concert with Trio Mediaeval; the October 2010 BAM Next Wave Festival performances of Evan Ziporyn’s A House in Bali, a new dance-opera featuring the All-Stars with Balinese Gamelan; commissions from Louis Andriessen, Bill Frisell, Ryuichi Sakamoto and more. With occasional homages to existing music by living masters, the heart of the repertoire is genre-defying music written specifically for the group. The All-Stars now record on Cantaloupe Music (www.cantaloupemusic.com) and have released past recordings on Sony, Universal and Nonesuch. For up-to-date information regarding Bang on a Can programs, events, and CD releases, please visit www.bangonacan.org.

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