Source: The New York Times.
Bang on a Can Festival (all week) As a composers collective, Bang on a Can continues to be one of the most fertile grounds for nurturing composing talent and encouraging a spirit of exploration. This festival, in North Adams, Mass., proves as much with highlights including a tribute by the pianist Vicky Chow to the collective’s founders, Michael Gordon, David Lang and Julia Wolfe, that also includes new music by Christopher Cerrone. On Sunday, there will be a rare performance of John Cage’s strangely moving “Atlas Eclipticalis.” Other events showcase premieres by some 30 up-and-coming composers and the music of Martin Bresnick, who will celebrate his 70th birthday this year. Various times, at Mass MoCA, 1040 Mass MoCA Way, massmoca.org. (Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim)
International Keyboard Institute and Festival (Sunday through July 31) For pianists and their fans, for those who love piano music and for everything piano-related, the 18th season of the International Keyboard Institute and Festival is back at Hunter College. True to tradition, the festival offers recitals (sometimes two of them a day) by acclaimed as well as emerging pianists, lectures, master classes and a competition. Highlights this week include a rare appearance by the eminent French pianist Philippe Entremont, now 82, on Saturday, a joint concert by institute faculty on Monday, and a recital by the impressive young George Li on Wednesday. At 8 p.m., Kaye Playhouse, Hunter College, 68th Street, between Lexington and Park Avenues, 212-772-4448, ikif.org. (Tommasini)
Tanglewood (all week) The main attraction in the Berkshires this week is the Festival of Contemporary Music, which, before he died in February, was to be curated by the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Steven Stucky. The concerts, which are scheduled every day through Monday, will include music by Dennehy, Harvey, Boulez and Meltzer, the climax coming as Stefan Asbury conducts the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra in Messiaen’s “Turangalîla Symphonie” and the American premiere of George Benjamin’s “Dream of the Song” (Monday at 8 p.m.). The Boston Symphony has solid programs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, not least giving a rare outing to Ginastera’s “Variaciones Concertantes” under Juanjo Mena (Sunday at 8 p.m.). Full details available online. Tanglewood Music Center, 297 West Street, Lenox, Mass., 888-266-1200, bso.org. (Allen)
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