The Bang on A Can All-Stars

Bang on A Can has always been about innovation, exploration, and breaking boundaries. Formed in 1987 by composers Michael Gordon, David Lang and Julia Wolfe, the New York based collective acts as an incubator for new and contemporary music. The organization is a place where adventurous composers and performers strive to add a fresh voice to the musical landscape.

Bang on a Can began as a one-day event, but has grown to include festivals, a membership program to commission emerging composers, a professional development program, multi-disciplinary collaborations with artists working in other media, a touring ensemble, the Bang on a Can All-Stars, and what has become its performance cornerstone, the Bang on a Can Marathon.

Now an annual event in New York, the 2007 marathon clocked in at over 27 hours of continuous music, and the concert has since been cut down to twelve hours of non-stop performance. This Sunday, BoaC will bring a version of the marathon to the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland, the first such performance in this area.

“It’s just a relaxed and loose way of presenting lots of different types of music to the audience,” said David Cossin, percussionist for the All-Stars, describing the atmosphere of a marathon concert. “Thoughout the day, you’ll see something you’ll really enjoy, and something that might be new to you.”