NYC is literally bursting at the seams with music this week, with no fewer than three festivals filling concert halls, alternative spaces and plain ol' dives all around the city. Last night, the 31st annual CMJ Music Marathon kicked off, with over 1,000 indie bands trying to make a name for themselves with as many 20 minute sets as they can cram in over the next five days.
Tomorrow, the 2nd annual White Light Festival begins at Lincoln Center, with a free performance by Bassekou Kouyate at the Rubinstein Atrium. Other highlights of this year's intriguing cross-genre festival include performances of the Missa Solemnis and War Reqiuem by the London Symphony, a screening of The Passion of Joan of Arc with music by Portishead's Adrian Utley and Will Gregory of Goldfrapp, and an all-Messiaen recital by Olivier Latry, titular organist of Notre Dame Catherdral in Paris.
Perhaps most intriguing of all is the first annual Sonic Festival, which started last week and continues through Saturday. Hosted by the American Composers Orchestra, the festival feautures new and electronic music by more than 100 composers, all under the age of 40. (The festival's name stands for "Sounds of a New Century.") Among the remaining highlights are Nico Muhly's new electric violin concerto (played by Caleb Burhans) on Friday at Roulette, a late-night jam (also at Roulette), and a collaboration between the ACO and the Dessner brothers at the Winter Garden on Saturday.
I'd say more, but I've got a show to catch. Or several.