Bang on a Can Summer Music Festival at MASS MoCA
The Bang on a Can Summer Music Festival at MASS MoCA (the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art) is a 3-week musical utopia for innovative composers and performers in the beautiful Berkshire mountains of western Massachusetts dedicated entirely to adventurous contemporary music.
This joyful, collaborative program includes daily rehearsals and seminars, performances in the museum galleries, world music and improvisation workshops, technology and music entrepreneurship seminars, and concerts and events in the community. The Bang on a Can Summer Festival has been described as “utterly transformative” and “life-changing,” and it’s a place where musicians generate powerful connections with new life-long collaborators, friends, and colleagues.
80 Hanson Place
suite 301
Brooklyn, NY 11217
United States
Residency Program Information
Residency Program Summary
Application Information
We welcome composers and performers who are passionate about new/experimental music. We welcome applicants from all over the globe who are at least 21 years old as of the first day of the festival. Performance applicants, please note that we encourage a diversity of instruments, including voice. You do not have to play an instrument included on our faculty to attend the program, as the focus is on chamber music, not individual study.
Work samples required for the application can be viewed in advance on the application info page.
If you are both a composer and performer and want to apply for both programs, please send an email to philippa@bangonacan.org for instructions on how to submit your second application.
If the application fee is a barrier for you, please write to philippa@bangonacan.org for a waiver.
Participation fee
The participation fees for the 2026 Bang on a Can Summer Music Festival are $3750 tuition, $700 Room and Board (Total $4,450). Tuition assistance is available, see below.
For context on the participation fee – the current total cost per program participant is $9,750. Bang on a Can has raised funds to cover just over half of that amount and will continue our efforts over the course of the season.
Room and Board — Accommodations for the Festival are within walking distance to the museum. Accommodations are double occupancy.
Lunch and dinner are provided Mon-Fri. Participants are responsible for all other meals, including daily breakfasts and weekend meals. There are several local inexpensive eateries near the museum.
All participants are responsible for their own transportation to and from MASS MoCA, which is in the city of North Adams in Western Massachusetts (Berkshire County). Information about transportation will be provided.
Tuition assistance
We are grateful to have received some generous funding enabling us to offer support to a limited number of participants with financial need. You will be instructed on how to request assistance upon acceptance to the program.
We also highly encourage you to seek your own sources of support from foundations and government sources, crowdfunding, and/or your university (if you are a student or recent alum). Bang on a Can will be happy to provide any letters or other documentation to support your efforts.
Danish and Lithuanian musicians – you are eligible for funding via Art Music Denmark or the Music Information Centre Lithuania, respectively. Please write to philippa@bangonacan.org for more info.
Accessibility
Housing & Accomodation
Housing is in a fully accessible hotel
Studio & Facilities
MASS MoCA has various spaces for rehearsals, performance, and individual practice time.