Rite of Summer Music Festival Welcomes Bang on a Can All-Stars Tonight

Blair McMillen and Pam Goldberg present the third annual Rite of Summer Music Festival, taking place Summer 2013 at Colonels' Row on Governors Island, New York City. This marks the return of the first classical-contemporary concert series on Governors Island, a place The New York Times has called a "Playground for the Arts." The aim of the Festival is simple: to present the highest quality live performances, and to bring free contemporary classical music to as many people as possible in a relaxed, fun, outdoor setting.

This summer's amazing line-up kicks off with the Bang on a Can All-Stars tonight, July 13th, with a fantastic program of works by David Lang, Julia Wolfe, Michael Gordon, Louis Andriessen, Steve Reich and Thurston Moore.

The second concerts taking place on Saturday, August 10th will spotlight An Homage to Stravinsky's Rite of Spring celebrating its centennial year featuring interpretations by Ljova and Friends and the Fireworks Ensemble.

Labor Day weekend brings a RITE-A-THON running the gamut from Schumann to Bolcom to Kate Bush with Blair McMillen, Pam Goldberg, TIGUE, Theo Bleckmann, Classical Jam and more on Sunday, September 1st.

The first two Rite of Summer shows will be presented twice the same day, at 1pm and 3pm, for each respective **date; the RITE-A-THON from 12pm-5pm. Audiences should feel free to walk by, stop and listen, lay down a picnic blanket and relax, eat lunch, intermingle, and take in these exciting live performances.

Governors Island is a short 5-minute ferry ride from South Ferry, in lower Manhattan and a 3-minute ride from Brooklyn Bridge Park. Ferries and concerts are free. For a full ferry schedule, please visit www.govisland.com.

For more information, visit www.riteofsummer.com.

**Rain dates/times for each scheduled concert will be as follows:

Bang on a Can All-Stars July 14, 2013 1pm & 3pm

Ljova and Friends & the Fireworks Ensemble August 11, 2013 1pm & 3pm

Blair McMillen, Pam Goldberg, TIGUE, Theo Bleckmann, Classical Jam September 2, 2013 12pm-5pm

On the Program:

PROGRAM SET 1:

Michael Gordon: Industry
David Lang: Sunray
Julia Wolfe: Lick
Louis Andriessen: Workers Union

PROGRAM SET 2:

Steve Reich: Electric Counterpoint
David Lang: Sunray
Julia Wolfe: Lick
Thurston Moore: Stroking Piece #1

Formed in 1992, the Bang on a Can All-Stars are recognized worldwide for their ultra-dynamic live performances and recordings of today's most innovative music. Freely crossing the boundaries between classical, jazz, rock, world and experimental music, this six-member amplified ensemble has consistently forged a distinct category-defying identity, taking music into uncharted territories. Performing each year throughout the U.S. and internationally, the All-Stars have shattered the definition of what concert music is today.

Together, the All-Stars have worked in unprecedented close collaboration with some of the most important and inspiring musicians of our time, including Steve Reich, Ornette Coleman, Burmese circle drum master Kyaw Kyaw Naing, Tan Dun, DJ Spooky, and many more. The group's celebrated projects include their landmark recordings of Brian Eno's ambient classic Music for Airports and Terry Riley's In C, as well as live performances with Philip Glass, Meredith Monk, Don Byron, Iva Bittova, Thurston Moore, Owen Pallett and others. The All-Stars were awarded Musical America's Ensemble of the Year in 2005 and have been heralded as "the country's most important vehicle for contemporary music" by the San Francisco Chronicle.

Recent project highlights include Field Recordings, an ongoing major new multimedia project featuring commissioned works by Laurie Andreson, Tyondai Braxton, Mira Calix, Anna Clyne, Dan Deacon, Florent Ghys, Michael Gordon, Jóhann Jóhannsson, David Lang, Christian Marclay, Paula Matthusen, Todd Reynolds, Julia Wolfe, and Nick Zammuto; the world premiere, performances, and recording of Steve Reich's 2x5 including a sold-out performance at Carnegie Hall; the group's multiple visits to China for the Beijing Music Festival and Hong Kong Arts Festival; the US tour and Carnegie Hall performance of Julia Wolfe's Steel Hammer, an evening-length staged concert with Trio Mediaeval; commissioned works by Louis Andriessen, Bill Frisell, Ryuichi Sakamoto and more. With a massive repertoire of works written specifically for the group's distinctive instrumentation and style of performance, the All-Stars have become a genre in their own right. The All-Stars record on Cantaloupe Music and have released past recordings on Sony, Universal and Nonesuch. http://bangonacan.org/bang_on_a_can_all_stars.

Members: Ashley Bathgate, cello; Robert Black, bass; Vicky Chow, piano; David Cossin, percussion; Mark Stewart, guitars; Ken Thomson, clarinets.

Photo Credit: Stephanie Berger