A Sound All Their Own

Brooklyn-based Bang on a Can All-Stars, an eclectic chamber ensemble that brings together some of the world’s most adventurous musical thinkers, are coming to town to present one of the most original music concerts ever to hit Macao. 

 

With a long history in wide-ranging music creation and a thrilling combination of contemporary, classical, electronic, jazz, folk, indie pop and live arts, the All-Stars have smashed the definition of what concert music is today. Audiences are immersed in a collision of sounds and styles, in a performance of pure enjoyment conceived for the ears and minds of true free musical spirits.

 

This energetic group of exceptional musicians has been performing live and recording in the studio for more than 25 years, and have played with a selection of important world musicians including Yo Yo Ma, Tan Dun, Philip Glass, Steve Reich, Brian Eno and Bob Dylan. They have also performed in renowned musical festivals and prestigious music halls including New York’s Carnegie Hall, London’s Barbican Centre, Hong Kong Arts Festival and the Beijing International Music Festival. 

 

Their compositions are unlike anything most of us have ever heard, as the six members break free of the conventional musical landscape with an onslaught of genre defying, unique interpretations. The group has also collaborated with projects and performers from fields as diverse as DJs, visual artists, choreographers and filmmakers.

 

Bang on a Can was formed in New York in 1987 by three recently-graduated Yale University music students, David Lang, Michael Gordon and Julia Wolfe.  Struggling to find a venue for their more experimental style of musical performance, they found an empty venue and presented an all-night concert.

 

Today, “Bang on a Can” refers to more than just a group of musicians.  There is an annual marathon concert, their record label Cantaloupe, a summer educational institute at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, and of course the touring house band the Bang on a Can All-Stars who will perform in Macao.

 

In their Macao debut, they will perform some masterpieces by David Lang, Michael Gordon, Todd Reynolds, and Steve Reich.  The main highlight of the concert will be a multimedia project called Field Recordings which looks back at a century of recorded sound and images, and features a soundtrack that includes the noise of machinery, the voice of a soprano singer, and soundtracks from Hollywood movies, all re-arranged with specially commissioned new live music.

 

Their daring musical vision of the future appeals to audiences of all ages and backgrounds, as the group constantly pursues its goal of discovering the best of contemporary sounds. Merging the power of both chamber and rock, Bang on a Can All-Stars are sure to change your perception of modern music.