Philip Glass

Born Baltimore, Maryland

The iconic composer Philip Glass has written operas, symphonies, chamber music, theatrical and film scores, and other choral and instrumental compositions. Glass trained at the Julliard School and with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. However, he rejected traditional compositional styles after transcribing the work of sitar player Ravi Shankar into Western notation. Glass has been characterized as a minimalist due to his use of slowly evolving cycles of rhythmic pattern. By contrast, he defines his own work as “music with repetitive structures.” His restless exploration of musical form characterizes his compositions for solo instruments and large ensembles alike. Fond of multimedia presentations, Glass has worked with the dancer Twyla Tharp and the playwright and librettist Robert Wilson. He has received many acco lades, including the Kennedy Center Honors in 2018. This painting by Luis Alvarez Roure is a study for a larger portrait of Glass at work in his studio.

Nacido en Baltimore, Maryland

El icónico compositor Philip Glass ha escrito óperas, sinfonías, música de cámara y música para teatro y cine, además de otras obras corales e instrumentales. Estudió en la Escuela Juilliard y con Nadia Boulanger en París. No obstante, luego de transcribir la obra del citarista hindú Ravi Shankar a la notación occidental, comenzó a rechazar los estilos de composición tradicionales. Se le ha descrito como minimalista por utilizar ciclos de patrones rítmicos estáticos. Por su parte, él define su obra como “música con estructuras repetitivas”. Sus partituras, ya sea para instrumentos solos o conjuntos grandes, se caracterizan por una incansable exploración de la forma musical. Amigo de las presentaciones multimedia, ha colaborado con la bailarina Twyla Tharp y el dramaturgo y libretista Robert Wilson. Entre muchos otros premios, recibió el Kennedy Center Honors en 2018. Esta pintura de Luis Álvarez Roure es un estudio para un retrato más grande de Glass en su estudio.

Luis Alvarez Roure [1976-]; donated to NPG in 2018.