Phillip Glass

Phillip Glass

Phillip Glass is a famous composer of the mid-20th century and present eras. He has worked closely with other esteemed artists and creatives including Twyla Tharp, David Bowie, Robert Wilson, and Leonard Cohen. He has written several successful operas("Einstein on the Beach") and has scored Award-winning films such as "Kundun" and "The Hours". His work has had an extremely unique and unprecedented effect on society and artistic culture.

Born in 1937, Glass originally grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. He first studied at the University of Chicago, then at the Juilliard School. In Aspen, he worked closely with and studied under the teachings of Darius Milhaud. Craving more than modern music had to offer, Glass hurried to Europe and linked with Ravi Shankar and Nadia Boulanger. Once back in New York, the Phillip Glass Ensemble was assembled from seven talented musicians playing a variety of instruments including primarily woodwinds and keyboards.

This new form of music he was creating was given the name "minimalism" by other composers and enthusiasts. Glass was not fond of this term, and preferred to categorize his music as tunes that favored a "repetitive structure". Most of his earlier pieces focused on creating a sort of sound current, which swept its listener into an elegant tapestry of sound. Short melodies were explored, expanded, and developed throughout the course of a single composition. Many remarked Phillip Glass as a constructor of sound. By laying out the building blocks of the tune in the beginning of the piece, he could build a full melody by combining scales and adding notes.

In his time as a Composer, Glass has released over 25 operas, 12 concertos, 11 symphonies, and film soundtracks for countless theatrical hits. Continuing into the year 2021, he continues to create art and music, all while teaching, giving lectures, presenting workshops, and performing regularly with the Phillip Glass Ensemble.

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