Bang on a Can Marathon NYC Marathon 5/31 and 6/1
05/07/08
The annual New York City Bang on a Can Marathon will begin at 6 p.m. on May 31 at the World Financial Center Winter Garden in lower Manhattan.
The long list of works to be performed over the twelve hour marathon include pieces by John Luther Adams, The Beatles, Harrison Birtwistle, Caleb Burhans, Chaya Czernowin, Donnacha Dennehy, Arnold Dreyblatt, Sivan Cohen Elias, Brian Eno, Michael Gordon, Annie Gosfield, Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen, Karsh Kale, David Lang, Lukas Ligeti,Steve Reich,
Featured performers will include such artists as Alarm Will Sound, Bang on a Can All-Stars, Caleb Burhans, Hartt Basses, Contact Contemporary Music, Crash Ensemble, Karsh Kale, Lisa Moore, Ensemble Nikel, Signal, So Percussion, Toby Twining Music, Bora Yoon, Young People's Chorus of NYC, and Pamela Z.
More information will be posted leading up to the festival in the upcoming month.
Arnold Dreyblatt to Release Resonant Relations
05/02/08
Composer Arnold Dreyblatt will release his new album Resonant Relations on Cantaloupe Records. A release date still has yet to be set, but the recording will be available before its commercial release at the New York City Bang on a Can Marathon on May 31st.
Tracklisting for Resonant Relations:
1. Resonant Relations
2. Twentyfive Chords in Twentyfive in Ninety Four Variations
In the meantime, see below for an interview with Arnold on his "excited strings bass" technique.
Don Byron Featured on Jeopardy!
04/17/08
Clarinetist and Cantaloupe recording artist Don Bryon recently appeared as an "answer" on the long-running (over 40 years long, in fact) game show Jeopardy!, firmly cementing his status as an American cultural icon (at least among the high-brow and trivia-obsessed).
If Alex Trebek's voice reading out Mr. Byron's name has peaked your curiosity, you can find Don on both his own Cantaloupe release A Ballad for Many as well as on Ethel's Light.
David Lang Wins Pulitzer Prize
04/11/08
David Lang, co-founder of Bang On a Can and Cantaloupe Records, was recently awarded the 2008 Pulitzer Prize in music for his piece The Little Match Girl Passion. The piece, based on Hans Christian Andersen's fable "The Little Match Girl" and inspired by Bach's St. Matthew's Passion, was co-commissioned by the Carnegie Hall Corporation and The Perth Theater and Concert Hall and premiered on October 25, 2007 in Zankel Hall in New York City.
Lang, whose works on Cantaloupe Records includes the compositions Elevated and Child, stated that "it's a very emotional piece....click here to continue
Bang On a Can All-Stars at MusicNOW
04/11/08
As previously reported, the Bang on a Can All-Stars played the MusicNow Festival in Cincinnati on April 4th.
At their performance, the All-Stars were joined by percussionist Glenn Kotche (Wilco) and guitarist Bryce Dessner (Clogs, The National). Pictures and some words regarding the performance have been posted on Pitchfork and Spill It.
In related news, the All-Stars continue their quick April jaunt around the United States. Tomorrow (April 12th), they'll be in Chapel Hill, North Carolina for a Bang on a Can Marathon. Glenn Kotche, Bryce Dessner, Kyaw Kyaw Naing and Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth) will join the All-Stars onstage....click here to continue
Bang On a Can All-Stars Tour
04/03/08
The Bang on a Can All-Stars will be playing a few dates this April, performing new commissions by Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo and Wilco's Glenn Kotche.
Kotche and guitarist Bryce Dessner (Clogs, The National), who is subbing for All-Stars guitarist Mark Stewart, will be performing with the All-Stars at all three shows. The All-Stars will be joined by Ranaldo and Kyaw Kyaw Naing on April 12th at UNC Chapel Hill's Memorial Hall. The dates are:
- April 4th - Cincinnati, OH (MusicNOW Festival).
- April 6th - Evanston, IL (Northwestern University)
- April 12th - Chapel Hill, NC (University of North Carolina)
On April 4th, The Dirty Projectors, led by Dave Longstreth (a veteran of the Bang on a Can Summer Institute and recently commissioned by the People's Commissiong Fund for the 2009 PCF Concert), will perform beforehand.
More about Bang on a Can
Amoeba Music and Cantaloupe Collaborating
03/21/08Recently, California's Amoeba Music and Cantaloupe Records have been working together, putting on a couple of shows in Amoeba's stores around the state.
Tristan Perich made a trip to Los Angeles last October and, while there, stopped by to give an in-store performance. Check out the video below to see how things turned out.
In addition to Tristan's show, the Bang on a Can All-Stars made an appearance at Amoeba's San Francisco store on February 7th in support of the San Francisco Bang on a Can Marathon....click here to continue
Cantaloupe, Perich, and So Percussion visit SXSW in Austin, TX!
02/29/08
All of us here at Cantaloupe are pleased to say that we'll be headed to Austin, Texas this March to participate in the city's annual South by Southwest Music Festival. Here's the necessary information:
On Wednesday, March 12th, So Percussion will play at St. David's Episcopal Church as part of the Reich, Rags, & Road Movies: Music by Steve Reich & Friends showcase. As the title suggests, the event focuses on the music of Steve Reich, who will be present as guest of honor at the show. On Thursday, March 13th, Mr. Reich will be at the Austin Convention Center to participate in a discussion with Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore.
In addition, Tristan Perich will be all over Austin, playing three shows in three days....click here to continue
Bang on a Can All-Stars Play San Francisco, Make Splash on iTunes
02/11/08
It's been a busy 2008 for the Bang on a Can All-Stars. The exclusive pre-release of Brian Eno: Music for Airports (Live) on iTunes happened during the first week of January, and saw it featured on iTunes front page next to Bjork and LCD Soundsystem! As of February 5, this digital exclusive will begin to make its way to other sites like eMusic and the Bang on a Can online store.
The excitement continued as the All-Stars traveled to San Francisco for an Amoeba Music in-store performance on February 7 and a Bang on a Can Marathon Concert on February 9 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts featuring both Don Byron and Iva Bittova....click here to continue
So Percussion Reviewed in NY Times, Announce 2008 Shows
02/04/08
The New York Times published an article reviewing Cantaloupe artist So Percussion's recent performance of "An Idyll for the Misbegotten," "Unto the Hills," and "Music for a Summer Evening (Makrokosmos III)" at the Miller Theatre on February 1. The program, featuring the music of composer George Crumb, also featured an interview with the composer conducted by So Percussion's own Jason Treuting.
Amid the good press, So Percussion is also scheduled to play some concerts across the country throughout February and March (click here and scroll to the bottom to see the dates).