Cantaloupe Music Store: February 28, 2011

Cantaloupe Music is the record label created in March 2001 by the three founders of New York's Bang on a Can Festival – a prominent institution promoting contemporary music in the US and abroad. Bang on a Can was co-founded in 1987 by composers Michael Gordon, David Lang, and Julia Wolfe; and managing director Kenny Savelson. The label boasts nearly 60 titles, featuring a wide variety of new music by the three founders, along with such leading figures as Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Brian Eno, and Terry Riley – and many vibrant younger composers gaining prominence on the scene. The performances feature especially the Bang the Can All-Stars, as well as such innovative ensembles as So Percussion and the Asphalt Orchestra.

The goal of both the Label and the Festival is to provide a home for "music that slips between the cracks." In its decade long history, Cantaloupe has repeatedly received "Top 10 of the Year" accolades from numerous publications, such as The New York Times, the Washington Post, and Gramophone; and has been featured on CNN, NPR, BBC, and other major outlets. Through Cantaloupe Music, Bang on a Can continues its mission to spread the gospel of risk-taking new music. Bang on a Can – dedicated to the work of composers across the entire aesthetic spectrum – has created a home for musical inventors, misfits, and pioneers. Founded in 1987 by Gordon, Lang and Wolfe, the non-profit has grown from a one-day festival to a multi-faceted organization. Their decision to launch Cantaloupe Music represented the culmination of 15 years of ground-breaking concerts and a decade of successful recording projects on multiple major record labels.

For more information, see their websites:
http://www.cantaloupemusic.com
http://bangonacan.org