Philip Glass (born 1937, Baltimore) is an American composer whose minimalist style - built on repeating patterns and slow harmonic shifts - reshaped classical music from the 1970s onward. His output spans 15 operas, 15 symphonies, film scores and chamber works; the portrait operas Einstein on the Beach, Satyagraha and Akhnaten, together with the Koyaanisqatsi soundtrack, are among the most performed contemporary classical works worldwide.
Symphony No. 15 'Lincoln', an eight-movement work for baritone and orchestra, received its world premiere with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood on July 5, 2026.
Tao of Glass, a part-concert, part-performance collaboration with director Phelim McDermott, opened its West End premiere at @sohoplace in London on 24 July 2026, running through 12 September.
Glass withdrew Symphony No. 15 from its originally planned Kennedy Center premiere, stating the venue's current values were in direct conflict with the symphony's message.
French concert institutions honoured Glass across the 2025-26 season with a series of major performances, including productions of Akhnaten and Satyagraha at the Philharmonie de Paris and Opéra de Nice.
The Orchestra of St. Luke's is scheduled to give the New York premiere of Symphony No. 15 at Carnegie Hall, with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra following in June 2027.
