Tomorrow night in Reynolds Industries Theater, Duke Performances will host new music ensemble Bang on a Can All-Stars and Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche as they push forward the relationship between rock and classical music.
Bang on a Can All-Stars, a group Director of Duke Performances Aaron Greenwald calls the country’s “foremost mixed small ensemble for [new] music,” formed in 1987 and consists of clarinet, cello, keyboard, electric guitar, bass and drums. Playing an innovative hybrid of rock and classical, they have collaborated with artists as eminent and diverse as modernist composer Philip Glass, rock musician and producer Brian Eno and avant-garde hip-hop artist DJ Spooky.
Glenn Kotche, drummer for the successful art rock band Wilco since 2001, has been playing the instrument for over 30 years. In addition to his rock credentials, Kotche has maintained an eclectic solo career: His work on film scores, original compositions and side projects amounts to over 90 albums.
As part of this season’s “Inventors” series—which includes such pioneers as Wayne Shorter and Kronos Quartet—the show is intended to demonstrate that “the combination of experimental daring and pure commitment can produce a new, omnivorous American art, one that marks how the true innovative spirit refuses to rest,” according to the Duke Performances website.
Due to Wilco’s demanding schedule, Kotche’s performances with the Bang on a Can All-Stars are infrequent. Despite the rarity of their collaborations, though, Kotche spoke of his deep respect for the ensemble.
“Any time I play with them I bring my A-game, because they’re world class musicians who are as well-versed in rock as they are in classical, and they’re constantly playing brand new music,” he said.
Greenwald also said this fusion is part of what makes a show like this so compelling.
“It’s great when you can have people that come out of the world of pop music that are equally accomplished in the world of experimental music,” Greenwald said. “They lend credibility to both worlds.”
The set list confirms this commitment to exploration. One piece, a Kotche original called “Snap,” is a commissioned work based on the music of Stax Records, the R&B label of the ’60s and ’70s. The group will also play a number of pieces by venerable American composer Steve Reich.
Reich, renowned as one of the progenitors of minimalism, was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 2009 for his Double Sextet. Heralded as a visionary for his innovations in tape loops and phasing, his work has impacted many facets of contemporary music.
“He is a tremendous influence on any composer of my generation,” Kotche said.
The concert’s conclusion will showcase the Southern debut of a new work by Reich called 2x5.
“2x5 is essentially two rock quartets,” Greenwald said. “For someone like Reich to write for the electric guitar speaks to the intersection of contemporary classical music and contemporary rock and roll.”
Regardless of the conceptual intricacies, the visceral appeal of this show is the virtuosity of its musicians.
“It’s a chance to see one of the most famous ensembles and a famous percussionist playing one of the most famous living composers,” Greenwald said.
Bang on a Can All-Stars and special guest Glenn Kotche will perform in Reynolds Industries Theater tomorrow night at 8 p.m. Tickets are $38/$32 for general admission and $5 for students and can be purchased at the Duke Box Office or tickets.duke.edu.
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