An ambitious music festival is set to start its first year this coming January at New York City’s Merkin Concert Hall, the first ever Ecstatic Music Festival. From January 17 to March 28, Merkin Concert Hall and New Amsterdam Records will bring together more than 150 musicians, producers, and composers to perform 14 concerts of unusually large scope. Artist pairings such as Dan Deacon and So Percussion, Alarm Will Sound playing a piece by Ben Frost, and Nico Muhly with the Chiara String Quartet will be featured at each event, the first of which is a free, seven-hour showcase featuring Buke & Gass with a handful of other artists appearing later in the festival opening the concert. You can find tickets for the events here, and check out a full list of performances below.

Sunday, January 16, 2011 7 pm @ Apple Store on Broadway at 67th Street, FREE
Panel discussion with Ecstatic Music Festival artists—moderated by Nadia Sirota, featuring panelists Dan Deacon, Nico Muhly, Valgier Sigurdsson, Missy Mazzoli, and Tristan Perich.

Monday, January 17th, 2011 2-9 pm, FREE
Ecstatic Music Festival Marathon
Featuring headliners Buke & Gass, and sets by some of the artists appearing later in the festival along with performers TBA.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011 at 7:30 pm
Creator/Curator, vol. 3: The Chiara String Quartet and the Music of Nico Muhly & Valgeir Sigurdsson

Thursday, January 20, 2011 at 7:30 pm
So Percussion & Dan Deacon

Saturday, January 22, 2011 at 7:30 pm
Craig Wedren, Jefferson Friedman & ACME (American Contemporary Music Ensemble)

Sunday, January 30, 2011 at 2 pm
Alarm Will Sound & Face the Music

Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 7:30 pm
Bang on a Can All-Stars 2011 People’s Commissioning Fund Concert

Saturday, February 19, 2011 at 7:30 pm
Roomful of Teeth & tUnE-yArDs: The Music of William Brittelle, Caleb Burhans & Merrill Garbus

Thursday, February 24, 2011 at 7:30 pm
Newspeak & Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society: Works by Darcy James Argue, Vijay Iyer, Nicole Lizée & David T. Little

Thursday, March 3, 2011 at 7:30 pm
Judd Greenstein (The Yehudim) & Olga Bell (Bell)

Saturday, March 5, 2011 at 7:30 pm
Timo Andres & Gabriel Kahane
An Evening with Charles Ives

Wednesday, March 9, 2011 at 7:30 pm
Nadia Sirota & Thomas Bartlett (Doveman) with Owen Pallett

Saturday, March 12, 2011 at 7:30 pm
Clogs & Brooklyn Youth Chorus

Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at 7:30 pm
Sarah Kirkland Snider & yMusic & Special Guest TBA
So Percussion & Bobby Previte with Zeena Parkins, John Medeski, DJ Olive & Jen Shyu