News

David Lang’s before and after nature premieres in LA at Walt Disney Hall!

David Lang’s newest work – before and after nature – is a monumental meditation on how people might imagine the world, both before and after human existence. Featuring the electric Bang on a Can All-Stars and the LA Master Chorale, conducted by Grant Gershon, and with stunning video/visual design by Tal Rosner, before and after nature explores how people interact with the natural world, concentrating particularly on the things we don’t really see or understand.

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Bang on a Can is hiring a new Development Director!

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Bang on a Can All-Stars tour  CA and IL this November!

Nov 13 – Ryuichi Sakamoto, 1996 (arr Ken Thomson) at UC San Diego

Ryuichi Sakamoto “was arguably the best-known and most successful Japanese musician in the world.” (Peter Tasker, Nikkei Asia)  Now Bang on a Can All-Stars offer their realization of the album 1996 (arranged by the All-Stars’ multi-talented clarinetist-composer Ken Thomson) — which includes an incredible selection of many of Sakamoto’s greatest hits.

Nov 16 – David Lang before and after nature with Los Angeles Master Chorale at Walt Disney Concert Hall

Nov 18 – David Lang before and after nature with Los Angeles Master Chorale at University of Illinois

David Lang’s newest work – before and after nature – is a monumental meditation on how people might imagine the world, both before and after human existence. Featuring the electric Bang on a Can All-Stars and the Los Angeles Master Chorale, conducted by Grant Gershon, and with stunning video/visual design by Tal Rosner, before and after nature explores how people interact with the natural world, concentrating particularly on the things we don’t really see or understand.

Bang on a Can is thrilled to officially welcome the amazing Lizzie Burns as the All-Stars’ new bassist!

Lizzie joins us with brilliant energy and tremendous performance know-how. She holds positions in the leading ensembles of our time, performs solo rep, and champions the work of living composers. In addition, Lizzie has performed and recorded with artists including Chris Thile, Edgar Meyer, Pekka Kuusisto, and Yo-Yo Ma, and with popular artists such as Jon Batiste and Phoebe Bridges. She has recorded on Deutsche Grammophon, Sony Masterworks, Naxos, and New Amsterdam. A dedicated educator, Lizzie is on faculty at Mannes Conservatory and Montclair State University.

The loss of our founding bassist, Robert Black, left a tremendous empty space in our hearts, and we have taken some time to heal, to celebrate Robert’s legacy, and to continue to put music into the world while working with a fantastic roster of bass players as we toured the US and Europe. We are grateful for this time period, grateful to all of the performers, and grateful for all of Robert’s family and friends who have shared their stories and support.

We share with you Lizzie’s words upon joining the band:
“It is not lost on me how big these shoes are to fill. I’m looking forward to getting to know Robert more through your stories, the rep, and the glimpses of his mind I glean from reading his annotated parts. I would never try to replace the irreplaceable, but I am excited to develop my own sound in this band in a way that honors the legacy of Robert Black.”

Welcome Lizzie Burns to the Bang on a Can family!

David Lang’s before and after nature at Ruhrtriennale in Germany!

David Lang’s newest work – before and after nature – is a monumental meditation on how people might imagine the world, both before and after human existence. Featuring the electric Bang on a Can All-Stars and Chorwerk Ruhr, conducted by Florian Helgath, and with stunning video/visual design by Tal Rosner, before and after nature explores how people interact with the natural world, concentrating particularly on the things we don’t really see or understand.

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The Bang on a Can All-Stars and Gyan Riley (plus special guests) celebrate Terry Riley’s 90th birthday at The Ford in LA on Sept 7,  featuring performances of his iconic pieces In C (called “musical democracy at its highest level” by the Library of Congress) and A Rainbow in Curved Air, the latter in a new transcription by Terry’s son and frequent performance partner Gyan Riley. Along with Gyan, Bang on a Can All-Stars and a host of special guests will conjure some of the greatest music of the 20th century under a full moon—aligning with Terry’s cosmic outlook in the most auspicious way.

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A giant THANK YOU to all the composers, performers, administrator, crew, and audience that made LOUD Weekend 2025 a big success. We are so grateful to everyone our summer home in North Adams, MA –  MASS MoCA!

Head on over to our instagram for lots of photos and more to come.

Bang on a Can and The Noguchi Museum present a monthly series of live performances in the Museum’s first floor galleries, beginning July 13 with mmeadows. Performances start at 3 pm. Tickets include full access to the Museum.

For musicians Kristin Slipp and Cole Kamen-Green, mmeadows is a means of survival, an outlet to anchor themselves from the currents of life. Fluid and rhythmic, acoustic and electronic, their singular alt-pop songcraft is the synthesis of complementary talents, mutual trust, and years of partnership. Their performance at The Noguchi Museum will feature songs from their debut album Light Moves Around You, as well as new and unreleased material, in an intimate, salon-like format.

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LOUD Weekend – where renowned special guests, Bang on a Can faculty, and young players perform throughout MoCA’s campus in a series of playful and heady collisions of jazz, classical, rock, and beyond.

Fueled by more than three decades of marathon concerts, Long Play Festival in Brooklyn and countless world tours and staged productions, Bang on a Can’s LOUD Weekend at MASS MoCA is a fully loaded, three-day, eclectic super-mix of creative, experimental, and unusual music.

Performers include – Bang on a Can All-Stars, So Percussion, Nathalie Joachim, Steven Schick, Wolf Eyes, DJ Maria Chavez, David Byrd-Marrow, Vicky Chow, David Cossin, Arlen Hlusko, Nick Photinos, Todd Reynolds, Maya Stone, Ken Thomson, and the summer festival performance fellows.

They’ll be playing the music of composers – Michael Gordon, David Lang, Julia Wolfe, Steve Reich, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Jeffrey Brooks, Ted Hearne,  Tamar Muskal, Gemma Peacocke, Jason Treuting, Trevor Weston, and the 2025 summer festival composition fellows: Che Buford, Aliayta Foon-Dancoes, Rebecca Galian Castello, Stephen Jackson, Jessie Leov, Kyle Rivera, Filippa Westerberg, and Tymon Zgorzelski

Additional artists and details to be announced!

More info and tickets

Visit MassMoCA’s website for Tickets and information here