Bang on a Can Announces Performances from All Four 2020 Online Marathons Available On-Demand

Bang on a Can will stream performances from all four 2020 Bang on a Can Online Marathons - "A Marathon of Marathons" for on-demand viewing from December 24, 2020 - January 1, 2021 at marathon2020.bangonacan.org.

Each online Marathon in 2020 (May 3, June 14, August 16, and October 18) featured performances from musicians' homes around the country and across the world - a total of 95 performances including 31 world premieres of new commissions and over 130 composers and performers.

All Marathon performers and composers participating live have been compensated by Bang on a Can. In all, Bang on a Can signed more than 150 paychecks to working artists to create and play the music on these marathons. The online collection also includes dozens of artist conversations with Bang on a Can Co-Founders and Artistic Directors Michael Gordon, David Lang, and Julia Wolfe, who interviewed many of the composers throughout the 24 hours of Marathon concert streams.

All videos will be free to stream. But as the entire ecosystem of composers and performers still needs assistance, viewers are encouraged to consider purchasing a ticket as doing so will enable Bang on a Can to do more performances, pay more players, commission more composers, and share more music worldwide. Bang on a Can plans to continue presenting online performances as long as the closure of presenting venues continues, and perhaps beyond.

Michael Gordon, David Lang and Julia Wolfe say:

Bang on a Can recognized in March of 2020 that we needed to shift EVERYTHING, and fast. Like so many other performing arts groups, we were staring at the possibility of months of paralysis. Watching friends and colleagues lose nearly all of their work opportunities was heartbreaking, and we began to brainstorm on how best to keep musicians working and paid, and to keep audiences engaged, as part of this sudden process of survival and transformation.

We turned to the place where it all began for us - the Bang on a Can Marathon. We quickly learned the tools necessary to stream performances from people's homes and studios, and to engage with tens of thousands of viewers worldwide. In this new virtual world we've been able to curate and commission more widely than ever. The breadth of composition, creativity, and performance has been astounding. And we are just getting started.

To date we've aired each live performance once. Having recently looked through the 90+ performances and interviews, we are inspired to share all of the music and conversations in an end-of-year celebration - a testimonial and toast to the amazing creativity and perseverance of our global music community during 2020. To our audiences and friends worldwide - we hope you enjoy this holiday gift.

The on-demand video collection (subject to change) includes:

Newly commissioned works (chronological: May 3, June 14, August 16, October 18)

Ken Thomson Birds and Ambulances

Molly Joyce Purity

Dai Wei Song for Shades of Crimson

Helena Tulve Without love atoms would stop spinning

Aeryn Santillan disconnect.

Žibuoklė Martinaitytė Abyssal Zone

Tomeka Reid Lamenting G.F., A.A., B.T., T.M.

Susanna Hancock Everything In Bloom

Ailie Robertson The Bells are All Silent

Kendall Williams Bass and Things

Carla Kihlstedt New Work

Leila Adu Black-Crowned Night-Heron

Shara Nova Hidden in Plain Sight

Nicole Mitchell A Much Deserved Ass Whooping

Dobrinka Tabakova Simple Prayer for Complex Times

Teddy Abrams You Can't Stop The Revolution

Fjóla Evans Eggshell

Brad Lubman can you make a prayer?

Rajna Swaminathan Consilience

Nick Dunston Fainting Is Down, Whooshing is Up

Annika Socolofsky Bolder (world premiere)

Samson Young Super Dark Energy

Annie Gosfield Curveballs and Asteroids

Christina Wheeler A Coda for the Totality of Blackness Trilogy

Jeffrey Brooks Santuario

Greg Saunier John Paul George and Ringo Pry Open the Gates of Hell

Gemma Peacocke Fear of Flying

William Parker Hum Spirituals

Valgeir Sigurðsson Brevis

Daniel Bernard Roumain Why Did They Kill Sandra Bland?

Krists Auznieks Arise

Program Information

Bang on a Can Marathon Program May 3 2020

Meredith Monk

Cassie Wieland Heart performed by Adam Holmes

Robert Honstein Orison performed by Ashley Bathgate

Vijay Iyer

Anna Clyne Rapture performed by Eileen Mack

George Lewis Voyager

Adam Cuthbért

Shelley Washington Black Mary performed by Ken Thomson

Martin Bresnick Ishi's Song performed by Lisa Moore

Ken Thomson Birds and Ambulances (world premiere) performed by Robert Black

Nathalie Joachim

David T. Little Hellhound performed by Maya Beiser

Miya Masaoka Music for ichi-ten-kin, or one string koto

Meara O'Reilly

Vinko Globokar Toucher performed by Steven Schick

Zoë Keating

Moor Mother

Philip Glass Knee Play 2 from Einstein on the Beach performed by Tim Fain

Mark Stewart To Whom it May Concern: Thank You

Mary Halvorson

Molly Joyce Purity performed by David Cossin

Ian Chang

Steve Reich Vermont Counterpoint performed by Claire Chase

Dai Wei Songs for Shades of Crimson (world premiere) performed by Todd Reynolds

John Adams China Gates performed by Vicky Chow

Bang on a Can Marathon Program June 14 2020

Rhiannon Giddens

Helena Tulve Without love atoms would stop spinning (world premiere) performed by Arlen Hlusko

Aeryn Santillan disconnect. (world premiere) performed by Ken Thomson

Alvin Curran Shofar Rags XXL

Ted Hearne Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job

Žibuoklė Martinaitytė Abyssal Zone (world premiere) performed by Robert Black

Nik Bӓrtsch (video not available)

Iva Bittová

Roscoe Mitchell

Paula Matthusen of an implacable subtraction performed by Dana Jessen

Tomeka Reid Lamenting G.F., A.A., B.T., T.M. (world premiere) performed by Vicky Chow

Nico Muhly (video not available)

Susanna Hancock EVERYTHING IN BLOOM (world premiere) performed by Nick Photinos

Don Byron

Ailie Robertson The Bells are All Silent (world premiere) performed by Gregg August

Tim Brady At Sergio's Request (world premiere)

Judd Greenstein In Teaching Others We Teach Ourselves performed by Nadia Sirota

Pamela Z

Alex Weiser Music from 'and all the days were purple' performed by Eliza Bagg

Kendall Williams Bass and Things (world premiere) performed by David Cossin

Carla Kihlstedt New Work (world premiere)

Frederic Rzewski Which side are you on? performed by Conrad Tao

Leila Adu Black-Crowned Night-Heron (world premiere) performed by Mark Stewart

Terry Riley

Bang on a Can Marathon Program August 16, 2020

Wu Man

Nicole Mitchell A Much Deserved Ass Whooping (world premiere) performed by Ken Thomson

Dobrinka Tabakova Simple Prayer for Complex Times (world premiere) performed by Vicky Chow

Missy Mazzoli Vespers for Violin (solo) performed by Olivia De Prato

Teddy Abrams You Can't Stop The Revolution (world premiere) performed by himself

Fjóla Evans Eggshell (world premiere) performed by Kendall Williams

Shara Nova Hidden in Plain Sight (world premiere) performed by herself

Brad Lubman can you make a prayer? (world premiere) performed by Lauren Radnofsky

Leyla McCalla

Jacob Cooper Expiation (edit) performed by Jodie Landau

Kaki King

Scott Wollschleger Tiny Oblivion performed by Karl Larson

Rajna Swaminathan Consilience (world premiere) performed by herself

Nick Dunston Fainting Is Down, Whooshing is Up (world premiere) performed by Robert Black

Phil Kline The Best Words performed by Theo Bleckmann with Dan Tepfer/Todd Reynolds

Marcos Balter ...and also a fountain performed by Rebekah Heller

Oliver Lake

Annea Lockwood RCSC performed by Sarah Cahill

Paola Prestini From the Bones to the Fossils performed by Jeffrey Zeigler

Craig Taborn

Annika Socolofsky Bolder (world premiere) performed by Arlen Hlusko

Samson Young Super Dark Energy (world premiere) performed by David Cossin

György Ligeti The Devil's Staircase performed by Jeremy Denk

Bang on a Can Marathon Program October 18, 2020

George Crumb A Little Midnight Music (selections) performed by Susan Grace

Annie Gosfield Curveballs and Asteroids (world premiere) performed by Ken Thomson

Christina Wheeler A Coda for the Totality of Blackness Trilogy (world premiere)

Alvin Singleton Argoru II performed by Seth Parker Woods

Hauschka

Jeffrey Brooks Santuario (world premiere) performed by Mark Stewart

Mazz Swift Give up the world

Greg Saunier John Paul George and Ringo Pry Open the Gates of Hell (premiere) perf by David Cossin

Gemma Peacocke Fear of Flying (world premiere) performed by Nathalie Joachim

David Longstreth

John Fitz Rogers Come Closer performed by Mike Harley

William Parker Hum Spirituals (world premiere)

Leaha Maria Villarreal The Warmth of Other Suns performed by Andie Tanning

Tyshawn Sorey

Tania León Paisanos Semos! and Bailarín performed by JIJI

Anna Webber

Christopher Cerrone Liminal Highway (first 2 mvmts) performed by Tim Munro

Valgeir Sigurðsson Brevis (world premiere) performed by Vicky Chow

Nels Cline & Yuka C. Honda

Daniel Bernard Roumain Why Did They Kill Sandra Bland? (premiere) performed by Arlen Hlusko

Du Yun

Krists Auznieks Arise (world premiere) performed by Robert Black

Bill Frisell

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