Welcome to a Living Archive

"The world is teeming; anything can happen." — John Cage

John Cage Unbound: A Living Archive is an online record of John Cage's work and its evolving impact on music and performance. Browse the full archive of work below ... examine a collection of manuscript excerpts housed at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center ... watch videos of musicians, students, and performers from all walks of life interpreting Cage’s music ... most important, contribute your own video showing how you interpret Cage's music. Videos will appear on this homepage as the Living Archive grows. Cage believed that, following his detailed directions, anyone could make music from any kind of instrument — and so we welcome your interpretations of his music.

News

NEWS

The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center celebrates the 100th anniversary of John Cage’s birthday on September 5, 2012 by publishing a new edition of its Point iBook series. The free book, which will be available in ePub format later this fall, explores Cage’s technique of preparing a piano. Download a copy

On September 27th, the Library continued its celebration of Cage’s life with a program held in the Bruno Walter Auditorium at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. The evening featured performances by Margaret Leng Tan, pianist and pre-eminent Cage interpreter, as well as a panel discussion led by NYPL curators and other collaborators from John Cage Unbound: A Living Archive. Check back soon for video highlights from the program.