watch the Bang on a Can Marathon livestream with over 40 artists

Bang on a Can‘s inaugural Long Play Festival is sadly postponed indefinitely, but the long-running Bang on a Can Marathon will return that same weekend, but in a new more modern (and unfortunately necessary) form. There’s no replacement for live music, and we can’t wait for the day when we can again spend an entire day in NYC watching a mix of countless eclectic performers play one after another, but for now we’re happy to see that the Marathon returns as a livestream on May 3rd from 3-9 PM EDT.

Bang on a Can means a lot of things to us. It means live performance in front of enthusiastic audiences, which none of us can really have right now. It means music-curious people rubbing elbows with each other, in packed concert halls, talking to each other about the role that music plays in their lives, which we can’t have now either. But it also means supporting a community of artists, commissioning new work from composers, providing live paid performance opportunities to amazing musicians, and introducing listeners worldwide to music that can change their lives. Those are things we can do now! And they are things we need now.

We are all waiting for the world to heal, but until it does, we all have to do what we can. We will start by hosting a LIVE Bang on a Can Marathon on Sunday, May 3. Six hours of uncompromisingly adventurous, searching music, with brand new works commissioned especially for the day, played by some of the most amazing performers on the planet. Please join us!
– Michael Gordon, David Lang & Julia Wolfe

The Marathon will begin with a performance by Meredith Monk at 3 PM Eastern and concludes with a performance by Bang on a Can All-Star pianist Vicky Chow playing John Adams’ China Gates. In total, it will feature 40 participating artists, with over two dozen solo performances, including Mary Halvorson, Moor Mother, Vijay Iyer, Ian Chang, Zoe Keating, and more, plus performances of works by Philip Glass, Steve Reich, and more. This year’s streaming event will also include four world premieres of newly commissioned works by Dai Wei, Shara Nova (aka My Brightest Diamond), Molly Joyce, and Ken Thomson.

You can watch via Bang on a Can’s website or thier Facebook, or YouTube. Check out the lineup and livestream schedule below.

BANG ON A CAN MARATHON STREAMING SCHEDULE

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
SHARA NOVA
ADAM CUTHBERT
DAI WEI “New Work” performed by TODD REYNOLDS
MARTIN BRESNICK “Ishi’s Song” performed by LISA MOORE
KEN THOMSON “New Work” performed by ROBERT BLACK
NATHALIE JOACHIM
DAVID T LITTLE “Hellhound” performed by MAYA BEISER
MIYA MASAOKA
MEARA O’REILLY
VINKO GLOBAKAR “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
MARY HALVORSON
MOLLY JOYCE “New Work” performed by DAVID COSSIN
IAN CHANG
STEVE REICH “Vermont Counterpoint” performed by CLAIRE CHASE
SHELLEY WASHINGTON “Black Mary” performed by KEN THOMSON
JOHN ADAMS “China Gates” performed by VICKY CHOW