by TOM VITALE
Photo by Steve Pyke
Composer Philip Glass changed the landscape of American music. As a founder of minimalism, Glass came up with a new way to make music and, with it, brought a new audience to the concert halls. Tuesday is Glass’ 75th birthday, and the music world is celebrating in a big way with performances and festivals around the globe — including the premiere of Glass’ latest work at Carnegie Hall.
Even on a frigid Saturday in January, the street outside Glass’ East Village home crackles with traffic and pedestrians. Inside his brick townhouse, where he composes, Glass says he has created what he calls an “oasis of tranquility.”
“Notice how quiet it is here? Those are very expensive windows. I have them all over the house,” Glass says. “And at one point I realized, look, it’s like — it’s like looking at a silent movie. You can’t hear the cars.”
Read full article and listen to the audio.
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Photo: Pavel Antonov/St. Ann's Warehouse
Other related links:
Fresh Air re-posted the interview of Phillip Glass by his cousin Ira Glass. Listen to interview here.
And rounding up KUSP’s Phillip Glass birthday coverage is a story from the NY Times about an eclectic music bash thrown for Glass by his friend.
Phillip Glass is the Producing Artistic Director of The Days and Nights Festival which returns to Carmel Valley and Big Sur in August -September, 2012. Festival video.
Listen to Robert Pollie’s 7/24/11 interview with Phillip Glass prior to last year’s inaugural Days and Nights Festival – audio here.
Watch video of Dennis Russel Davies in rehearsal of Philip Glass Symphony No. 9. The Symphony will have it’s American debut tonight at Carnegie Hall. Glass speaks about it here, in this video.
