Home --- Email --- Biography --- Mailing List ---Ensemble

THE GLENN BRANCA
ENSEMBLE

Emerging from the late 70's No Wave scene and moving into composition, Glenn Branca’s 45 years of work as a composer included music for experimental rock bands, large ensemble instrumentals for electric guitars, symphonies for both electric instrumentation and acoustic orchestras, chamber ensembles, an opera, a ballet, choral works, and music for film, dance, theater, and installation art. Membership in his Ensemble jump-started the careers of Sonic Youth, Swans and Helmet and his influence on the worlds of Rock, Contemporary Classical, Experimental, and New Music is incalculable.

The current incarnation of The Glenn Branca Ensemble consist of musicians who worked with Branca and learned the techniques from the master himself.

In 2019 we posthumously released his record The Third Ascension and began performing our first US shows in tribute to Glenn with members of his last group, including in New York City and at MIT in Cambridge, MA, playing pieces from this record as well as Glenn’s last Piece The Light (For David).

This is a return to the 4-guitar, bass and drums format of his legendary 1981 release The Ascension as well as 2010's The Ascension: The Sequel. The recording is a live performance by The Glenn Branca Ensemble at NYC's The Kitchen in 2016.