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Todd Reynolds and the Bang on a Can Festival, 2015
MASS MoCA, North Adams, Mass.
This special presentation, “Present Music,” is an exploration of the Bang on a Can Festival, that takes place July 15–August 1 at MASS MoCA. This incredible series, launched in 1987, offers listeners the chance to enjoy innovative music performed in a setting that provides a backdrop of imagination and disciplined talent.
We speak with one artist, violinist Todd Reynolds, who is a perfect representative of the spirit of originality and heart that fuels this festival. Not only do we get to hear some of Reynolds’ thoughts on the state of contemporary art music today, we get to hear rarely played pieces, traditional tunes, and a world premiere written specifically for the occasion.
The presentation includes this video, a podcast containing the complete interview with Todd, and photo examination of the performance, heavily annotated.
From Todd Reynolds’ website:
Todd Reynolds, violinist, composer, educator and technologist is known as one of the founding fathers of the hybrid-musician movement and one of the most active and versatile proponents of what he calls ‘present music’. The violinist of choice for Steve Reich, Meredith Monk, Bang on a Can, and a founder of the string quartet known as Ethel, his compositional and performance style is a hybrid of old and new technology, multi-disciplinary aesthetic and pan-genre composition and improvisation. Reynolds’ music has been called “a charming, multi-mood extravaganza, playful like Milhaud, but hard-edged like Hendrix” (Strings Magazine), and his countless premieres and performances of everything from classical music to Jazz to Rock‘n’Roll seem to redefine the concert hall and underground club as undeniably and unavoidably intertwined. He has just released his double CD set, Outerborough on Innova Recordings, featuring InSide, a collection of his own music, paired with OutSide, music written by a veritable who’s who of contemporary composers.
Check back for the next two installments of this special presentation soon. You definitely won’t want to miss the complete interview with Todd Reynolds, as well as the full article.
For now you have one more week to treat your ears to some of the freshest sounds you could ask for. Consult the Bang on a Can calendar to find a performance that tempts you.
