The 2018 Carnegie Hall performance of Julia Wolfe’s Pulitzer Prize–winning Anthracite Fields was one of the season’s most unforgettable events. Inspired by the lives of Pennsylvania coal miners, Wolfe uses oral histories, interviews with miners and their families, speeches, and children’s stories in moving musical tableaux that depicts their plight. Hear this “major profound work” (Los Angeles Times) for the first time or be moved by it once again.
Bang on a Can All-Stars perform on the “New Music Series” at Lawrence University in Appleton, WI
Program
David Lang: sunray
Michael Gordon: gene takes a drink
Nick Dunston: Fainting is down, Whooshing is up
Julia Wolfe: Big Beautiful Dark and Scary
Meredith Monk: Spaceship
Louis Andriessen: Workers Union
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April 7 – Bang on a Can All-Stars and Ensemble Klang
April 8 – Meredith Monk’s MEMORY GAME
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Bang on a Can All-Stars and Meredith Monk perform MEMORY GAME at the Southbank Centre in London!
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The Bang on a Can All-Stars perform at Crosstown Arts!
Program:
- David Lang: sunray
- Michael Gordon: For Madeline
- Nick Dunston: Fainting is down, Whooshing is up
- Julia Wolfe: Big Beautiful Dark and Scary
- Meredith Monk: Spaceship
- Louis Andriessen: Workers Union
Big Ears Festival is back in 2022! It’s all happening March 24-27 in Knoxville, TN. Bang on a Can All-Stars will perform MEMORY GAME with Meredith Monk & Vocal Ensemble and also Terry Riley’s Autodreamographical Tales. The full line up is outstanding, and we can’t wait to see you there!
The Southern Exposure New Music Series is devoted to exploring the rich variety of contemporary classical and world music written in the past 30 years and masterworks of the 20th century.
Program:
David Lang: sunray
Michael Gordon: For Madeline
Nick Dunston: Fainting is down, Whooshing is up
Julia Wolfe: Big Beautiful Dark and Scary
Meredith Monk: Spaceship
Louis Andriessen: Workers Union
Julia Wolfe’s Steel Hammer is a moving retelling of “John Henry,” a classic American ballad of man versus machine. Based on hearsay, recollection, and tall tales, the piece features exquisite vocal writing complemented by Appalachian folk instruments, such as wooden bones, mountain dulcimer, banjo, clapping, and clogging.
Bang on a Can’s annual People’s Commissioning Fund concert returns with a high-octane concert of world premieres and an expanded Bang on a Can All-Stars lineup! The 2022 PCF concert is part of the Ecstatic Music Festival and will be hosted by WNYC’s John Schaefer.
The concert will also be live streamed on live.bangonacan.org
Tickets are $25 or $15 for students.
On December 10-12, 2021 at radialsystem Berlin, the Bang on a Can All-Stars will give their first performances abroad since the pandemic. Celebrated German dance company Sasha Waltz & Guests present their latest work, In C, for the first time with live music, performed by the Bang on a Can All-Stars. In C is a brand new dynamic dance work based on Terry Riley’s revolutionary and open composition by the same name.
The December 12 performance will be live-streamed on live.bangonacan.org
2 days of ear-bending music and mind-blowing art featuring dozens of festival composers and performers, Kronos Quartet, the electric Bang on a Can All-Stars, Michael Gordon, David Lang, Julia Wolfe, and special guests.
Cal Performances at Home premieres a new film, Steel Hammer, based on the acclaimed oratorio by Julia Wolfe. Steel Hammer is a meditation on over 200 versions of the “John Henry” folk ballad. The various versions—based on hearsay, recollection, and tall tales—reveal both the evolution of the story, as well as the timeless tale of human versus machine.
The video premiere is May 6 at 7pm PT/ 10pm ET. It will be available on demand through August 4.
PROGRAM:
Julia Wolfe: Reeling
Christian Marclay: Fade to Slide with film by Christian Marclay
David Lang: unused swan
Caroline Shaw: Really Craft When You
Michael Gordon: Gene Takes a Drink with film by Bill Morrison
Bryce Dessner: Letter 27 with film
Todd Reynolds: Seven Sundays
Gabriella Smith: Panitao
Jóhann Jóhannsson: Hz with film by Jóhann Jóhannsson
Anna Clyne: A Wonderful Day
The Bang on a Can All-Stars perform Field Recordings at the Walled City Music Festival in Derry UK!
PROGRAM
Esben Nordborg Møller: Rags
Lasse D. Hansen: Dances of Remote Islands
Kirsten Milenko: Tapestries
Julia Wolfe: Believing
Kate Moore: Ridgeway
Philip Glass: Closing
Steve Martland: Horses of Instruction
The Bang on a Can All-Stars perform on the 2020 Pulsar Festival in Copenhagen Denmark.
PROGRAM:
Julia Wolfe: Believing
David Lang: sunray (Irish premiere)
Philip Glass: Closing (Irish premiere)
Steve Martland: Horses of Instruction (Irish premiere)
Bang on a Can All-Stars perform on the New Music Dublin festival!
As part of the RNCM’s Original Voices series The Bang on a Can All-Stars will perform Steve Reich’s 2×5 with students of the Royal Northern College of Music! Also on the program:
Julia Wolfe: Believing
Kate Moore: Ridgeway
Philip Glass: Closing
Steve Martland: Horses of Instruction
Musiktage / Staatsoper Hannover Hanover,
Germany map “in the shelter of the fold / epilogue”
In an intricately woven tapestry of sound, shape, momentum, and stillness, choreographer Doug Varone and his 13-member ensemble contemplate our private and public relationship to faith. in the shelter of the fold / epilogue comprises six interconnected vignettes, featuring original music by Lesley Flanigan, Julia Wolfe, David Lang, Raz Mesinai, and Kevin Keller, masterfully interpreted by Flanigan, PUBLIQuartet, and the Bang on a Can All-Stars. Drawing upon Varone’s own personal questions about prayer as both a spiritual and secular dialogue, this episodic work digs deep to ask how and why we find shelter in the unknown.
4 shows, June 5, 6, 7, 8 at 7:30pm
The Bang on a Can All-Stars perform Field Recordings on the Victoriaville Festival in Quebec, Canada!
Program:
Julia Wolfe, Reeling
Christian Marclay, Fade to Slide (with film by Christian Marclay)
Caroline Shaw, Really Craft When You
David Lang, unused swan
Michael Gordon, Gene Takes a Drink (with film by Bill Morrison)
René Lussier, Nocturne
Todd Reynolds, Seven Sundays
Steve Reich, The Cave of Machpelah (excerpt from The Cave) (arr. Michael Gordon)
Richard Reed Parry, The Brief and Neverending Blur
Nicole Lizée, Dancist (with film by Nicole Lizée)
Anna Clyne, A Wonderful Day
Newman Center at U of Denver Denver,
CO map Bang on a Can All-Stars and students from University of Denver’s Lamont School perform Michael Gordon’s Big Space!
Program:
David Lang Sunray
Julia Wofe Big Beautiful Dark & Scary
Steve Martland Horses of Instruction
Ornette Coleman Haven’t been where I left
Philip Glass Closing
Michael Gordon Big Space
The Bang on a Can All-Stars visit the Brighton Dome in the UK!
Program:
Steve Reich: Electric Counterpoint
Meredith Monk: Spaceship [arr Michael Gordon]
Meredith Monk: Totentanz [arr David Lang]
Brian Eno: Music for Airports 1/1 [arr. Michael Gordon]
Julia Wolfe: Believing
Philip Glass: Closing
Steve Martland: Horses of Instruction
Julia Wolfe’s Anthracite Fields with the National Forum of Music Choir, led by Agnieszka Franków-Żelazny in Wroclaw, Poland!
Also on the program:
Michael Gordon, For Madeline
David Lang, Little Match Girl Passion
2 shows! January 12 and 13
The Bang on a Can All-Stars and Cantus Domus, Ralf Sochaczewsky, conductor, will perform Julia Wolfe’s Anthracite Fields in Berlin, Germany!
The All-Stars join students at the The Academy of Music and Performing Arts at Fontys University, for a residency and concert performing the following:
Kraftwerk: ‘ruckzuck’ and ‘megaherz’ (performed by students)
Louis Andriessen: Langzame Verjaardag (performed by students & BOAC)
Louis Andreissen: Workers Union (performed by students & BOAC)
Plus Selections from Field Recordings
Julia Wolfe: Reeling
Caroline Shaw: Really Craft When You
Christian Marclay: Fade to Slide with film by Christian Marclay
David Lang: unused swan
Aart Strootman: Lesson 25 – Time
Michael Gordon: Gene Takes a Drink with film by Bill Morrison
Steve Reich: The Cave of Machpelah
Anna Clyne: A Wonderful Day
The All-Stars at the Cello Biennalle!
Program:
David Lang – cheating, lying, stealing
Michael Gordon – Light is Calling, with film by Bill Morrison
Julia Wolfe – Believing
Aart Strootman – Lesson 25 – Time
Steve Reich – The Cave of Machpelah
Julia Wolfe – Reeling
Anna Clyne – A Wonderful Day
This All-Stars performance will include Michael Gordon’s epic new work Big Space with local orchestra musicians!
Program:
David Lang: Sunray
Julia Wofe: Big Beautiful Dark & Scary
Steve Martland: Horses of Instruction
Ornette Coleman: Haven’t been where I left
Philip Glass: Closing
Michael Gordon: Big Space
Bang on a Can All-Stars perform on the Vertice Fesitval at the Sala Miguel Covarrubias at Centro Cultural Universitario UNAM (National University) in Mexico City, Mexico!
Program:
Julia Wolfe: Big Beautiful Dark & Scary
Michael Gordon: For Madeline
Josue Collado: Joie de Vivre (world premiere!)
David Lang: Sunray
-intermission-
Steve Reich: Piano Counterpoint
Philip Glass: Closing
Steve Martland: Horses of Instruction
Delaware Museum of Art Wilmington,
DE map The All-Stars play a high octane set at the Delaware Museum of Art!
Program:
Julia Wolfe, Big Beautiful Dark & Scary
Michael Gordon, For Madeline
David Lang, Sunray
Steve Reich, Electric Counterpoint
Philip Glass, Closing
Steve Martland, Horses of Instruction
The Bang on a Can All-Stars perform Field Recordings at DePauw!
Program
Julia Wolfe: Reeling
Florent Ghys: An Open Cage
Michael Gordon: Gene Takes a Drink (with film by Bill Morrison)
Christian Marclay: Fade to Slide (with film by Christian Marclay)
David Lang: unused swan
Todd Reynolds: Seven Sundays
Caroline Shaw: Really Craft When You
Steve Reich: The Cave of Machpelah
Bryce Dessner: Letter 27 (with film)
Anna Clyne: A Wonderful Day
Home of the Arts Gold Coast,
Australia map The All-Stars perform at the Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast of Australia!
Program:
David Lang cheating, lying, stealing
Michael Gordon, For Madeleine
JG Thirlwell, Anabiosis
Julia Wolfe, Believing
Kate Moore, Ridgeway
Philip Glass, Closing
Steve Martland, Horses of Instruction
