stevereich

Steve Reich turning 75, making appearances, having his work performed, is the subject of a documentary

Steve Reich

Steve Reich will celebrate his 75th birthday with a weekend of events in his honor. The festivities start on April 30th at Carnegie Hall, as Steve Reich will host NYC premieres of three new works, WTC 9/11, Mallet Quartet, and 2 x 5, as well as his Pulitzer Prize winning Double Sextet. Bang On A Can All-Stars, eighth blackbird, Kronos Quartet, and So Percussion will do the performing. Tickets are still available.

The party continues the next night at Le Poisson Rouge (on 5/1), as the avant-composer will be in the house for a screening of a new film about him called “Phase to Face“. He’ll also take part in a Q+A following the showing alongside director Eric Darmon.

In this profile he looks back on the key stages of his 40-years lasting career, from the formation of his own group, Steve Reich and Musicians, to the American avant-garde he helped to create, from new video performances to his quasi-religious music. Despite his success and wide recognition Steve Reich has never renounced his independent spirit.

This film is about the artist and his music. From the analogue tapes of his first recorded pieces to current technology of sampling and video. We see him at work and clips from his performances and concerts in Le Havre, Tokyo, Rome, New York and Manchester.

Tickets are still available, or you can actually see the film much sooner, as it’s making its NY premiere at the NYPL on Wednesday, April 20th. Steve Reich and director Éric Darmon will be there too. Or if you just want to watch the movie from home, the DVD is also on sale now. Check out a trailer for the film below.

A week after the birthday festivities, on May 8th, chamber ensemble AXIOM will perform Steve Reich’s “Drumming” (complete) at Le Poisson Rouge. Tickets are on sale.

On June 2nd, Either/Or will perform the music of Steve Reich, and Robert Ashley, Philip Glass, and Andrew Byrne, at the Kitchen. Tickets are on sale.

On January 17th (2012), Reich fans should plan to be in LA where Reich himself will perform Clapping Music with Steven Schick during an “evening devoted to one of America’s greatest living composers, including several of his early, seminal works.” It all goes down, with the help of Bang on a Can All Stars, at Walt Disney Concert Hall (Single tickets go on sale August 21).

Some videos below…


Steve Reich: Phase to Face

Steve Reich – Double Sextet 1 Asya Sorshneva, iCQ Project, Ksenia Bashmet, Dmitry Schyolkin

Steve Reich • Music for 18 Musicians CD Trailer

STEVE REICH DIRECTING BANG ON A CAN

So Percussion – Clapping Music