It all started with the first Marathon back in 1987. Three young composers - Michael Gordon, Julia Wolfe and David Lang - noticed that things were changing in the world of contemporary music, and the Uptown concert scene was mired in the traditional notions of what "art" music should be. So they created the concert of their dreams…the Marathon.
The ethos and energy of the Marathon proved unstoppable. In the coming years, the artistic directors addressed the need to commission new work (People's Commissioning Fund), nurture top-notch ensembles (Bang on a Can All-Stars, Asphalt Orchestra), record outstanding performances of pieces both new and old (Cantaloupe Music), and present large-scale projects that can only be described as the modern equivalent of Grand Opera. Today, the very phrase "Bang on a Can" connotes a thorough and fearless vision of music without prejudice, and of contemporary composition as a vital and powerful part of the cultural landscape. Each year, our performances and broadcasts are heard by approximately 250,000 people worldwide. Our annual activities include:
1.The Bang on a Can Marathon, an acclaimed daylong festival of contemporary music introducing local audiences to the work of 100-300 artists and musicians per Marathon, from all around the world
2.The annual People's Commissioning Fund (PCF) Week featuring performances of new works by emerging and experimental composers commissioned for the BoaC All-Stars by hundreds of our supporters
3.Our frequent NYC concerts, which occur at BAM , Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, Miller Theater, and many more. And we perform free concerts whenever possible at venues around town.
4.Our touring schedule, which includes more than 30 performances at various festivals and music venues here and abroad, from Paris to Prague, from Kansas to Kyrgystan.
5.Regular commissions, new record releases and featured broadcasts. Each year, we collaborate with WNYC-FM on the production of broadcasts of our concerts on its pioneering show "New Sounds" (reaching nearly 100,000 tri-state residents). We've presented our online festival of experimental music, the e-Festival, on our website at www.bangonacan.org. And through our record label, Cantaloupe Music, we release half a dozen new recordings a year to widespread critical acclaim – over 30 to date.
6.Our annual Summer Festival of Music at MASS MoCA, the first national residency program for gifted young composers and performers interested in experimental music.
7.Our audacious marching project – Asphalt Orchestra - a 12-person mobile ensemble that shatters any remaining vestige of the image of a staid or conservative chamber group.
8.A promising new initiative blending music and technology in the public schools – The Young Producers Project – a multi-faceted learning system that encourages youth of all backgrounds and musical inclinations to develop their own voice using breakthrough software and Bang on a Can’s edict that any sound can be music if you make it so.