Bang on a Can throws a virtual version of its festival.
BANG ON A CAN CO-FOUNDERS DAVID LANG, LEFT, MICHAEL GORDON AND JULIA WOLFE
Imagine a society where differences are celebrated, where diversity is a unifying strength.
In many ways, the world, undeniably, has a long way to go. Musically, however, the founding trio of New York’s Bang on a Can — composers Michael Gordon, David Lang and Julia Wolfe — has successfully established an inclusive international community since the organization made its debut in 1987 with a 12-hour marathon concert in a SoHo gallery.
Over the years, the one-day event developed into a multifaceted, groundbreaking performingarts organization that challenges musical assumptions and breaks down barriers, particularly those of genre and geography, to give voice to the innovative creators of experimental music through adventurous programming. Its year-round activities involve staged productions, a three-week summer music institute at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, two touring ensembles, a social-engagement wing, weekendlong festivals and marathon concerts presented worldwide that juxtapose an array of musical disciplines.
On Sunday, in response to the coronavirus, Bang on a Can will host its second six-hour online marathon concert, showcasing 25 performances, 10 of which will be world premieres of new commissions. The free livestream event will also feature commentary by participating artists all of whom are compensated and will connect from their living spaces around the globe, forming unity amid isolation and division.
“We were young composers, looking at the way the world was organized, and we wished it were organized in a different way,” said Lang, who will be co-hosting via Zoom from Houston, where he has sheltered with his wife’s family since the beginning of the pandemic. “There’s something about the act of making something happen that hasn’t happened before that’s kind of utopian. There’s something beautiful about imagining what world you will live in.”
Taking time zones into account, the virtual program, the first of which was viewed by over 22,000 people, will begin with a performance by Rhiannon Giddens, live from Ireland. Highlights include such musical legends as Terry Riley, a founder of minimalism, and Roscoe Mitchell, a key figure in avant-garde jazz, as well as prominent artists early in their careers. Kendall Williams, for example, is a steel pan virtuoso and composer of rhythmic music who draws inspiration from his Trinidadian roots. Another of many notable contributors is Pamela Z, a pioneer in the field of live digital looping techniques, who collaborated with Houston’s Apollo Chamber Players last year.
“I think people are looking at these concerts as being all we can do is remind you of everything that we have all lost, and that’s really sad,” Lang said. “But this other part of it is really beautiful. There’s a connection to people, which is very human and very immediate. It’s something that maybe you don’t get when you go to a concert.”
In May, the Bang on a Can All-Stars were scheduled to perform at the Wortham Theater Center in Wolfe’s “Anthracite Fields,” a co-presentation by Da Camera and the Houston Chamber Choir. The event was canceled due to the coronavirus.
Despite the circumstances, Bang on a Can has pressed on to support its community. Alongside the marathon concerts, the organization formed CanLand, an all-access online archive containing material from its 33 years of music-making.
“People right now are very polarized in the world,” Lang said. “Music is something that brings people together. It’s something that everyone from every walk of life has some participation in, and it’s something that, essentially, is about building a positive community together.”