September with Bang on a Can

This week we launch our fall season with a jam-packed month of music far and wide, journeying across the country and around the world with the Bang on a Can All-Stars, Asphalt Orchestra, OneBeat, and more!

First up, TODAY Found Sound Nation launches the second annual OneBeat program, an international cultural exchange that celebrates the transformative power of the arts in partnership with the U.S. Department of State. From September 9 – October 5, OneBeat brings together 25 musicians from 16 countries around the world for four weeks to collaboratively write, produce, and perform original music. OneBeat 2013 begins with a two-week residency at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach, Florida (Sept. 9-21), followed by a two-week tour of the Eastern seaboard featuring performances, youth workshops, and public music-making events in Charleston, SC (Sept. 22-25); Durham, NC (Sept. 26-28); Floyd, VA (Sept. 29-30); Washington, DC (Sept. 30-Oct. 2); and New York, NY (Oct. 2-5). More information and tickets here.

Next, our exhilarating marching band Asphalt Orchestra brings its infectious energy to the stage in Unpack the Elephant, featuring music by Frank Zappa, David Byrne and Annie Clark, Björk, and music by members of the ensemble. Touring coast to coast throughout September and October, Unpack the Elephant makes its first fall appearance at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord, NH on September 10, the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts at UC Davis, CA on October 6, and the Halbritter Center for the Performing Arts at Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA on October 26. Guerrilla flash performances also pop up all along the way—stay tuned to @Asphalt_Orch on Twitter for the latest news.

On September 16 and 17, the Bang on a Can All-Stars return for the third consecutive year to the Sacrum Profanum Festival in Krakow, Poland, performing their legendary arrangement of Brian Eno’s Music for Airports and a set from their ever-growing multimedia performance Field Recordings. In Krakow, the All-Stars perform a new addition to Field Recordings by composer/guitarist Bryce Dessner of The National, alongside music by Jóhann Jóhannsson, Julia Wolfe, Florent Ghys, Christian Marclay, Todd Reynolds, Tyondai Braxton, Mira Calix, Michael Gordon, David Lang, Steve Reich, and Nick Zammuto. Braxton and Calix join the All-Stars onstage for the performance.  More information and tickets here.

At the end of September, the All-Stars travel to France for a three-city tour with performances at Le Lieu Unique in Nantes on September 26, l’Arsenal de Metz on September 27, and La Dynamo in Paris on September 28, performing core repertoire on a shared bill with Paris-based minimalist-inspired chamber pop/rock group Cabaret Contemporain. 

Lastly, we'd like to encourage you to consider attending one or both of the upcoming Benefit events being held by our friends at MATA (September 21 at Tibet House honoring Dawn Upshaw) and So Percussion (September 25 at an intimate affair in a private home in Brooklyn, honoring our own David Lang). We continue to be astounded by the strength and diversity of the new music scene in NYC, and as they say, a rising tide lifts all boats!

We hope to see you soon!