The NAC Orchestra and The Glenn Gould Foundation celebrate The Genius of Philip Glass

Innovative. Influential. Legendary.
Philip Glass will be presented with the 11th Glenn Gould Prize on November 26 in Ottawa

OTTAWA, Sept. 6, 2016 /CNW/ - On Saturday, November 26, iconic American composer Philip Glass will be awarded The Eleventh Glenn Gould Prize at an exclusive concert in his honour presented by The Glenn Gould Foundation and the National Arts Centre.  Conductor Dennis Russell Davies, a life-long proponent of the music of Philip Glass and collaborator on numerous commissions, will lead the NAC Orchestra.

The Genius of Philip Glass will include performances by the NAC Orchestra of his symphonic works, including the seminal Symphony No. 2.

Through his compositions and wide-ranging collaborations with artists from many disciplines, American composer Philip Glass has had an extraordinary impact on the musical, artistic and intellectual life of our times.  Glass has been referred to as "the first composer to win a wide, multi-generational audience in the opera house, the concert hall, the dance world, in film and in popular music – simultaneously," by biographer Ted Page.

Born in Baltimore, in 1937, Glass is regarded as one of the most influential composers of the 20^th century. His early work is associated with the minimalist movement, although he considers himself a composer of "music with repetitive structures." A self-described "classicist," Glass trained in harmony and counterpoint with legendary French pedagogue Nadia Boulanger.

Since the 1960s, Glass has collaborated with artists from pop, rock and world music plus the worlds of dance and film including Twyla Tharp, Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Paul Simon, Kronos Quartet, Mick Jagger, Ravi Shankar, Laurie Anderson, and Yo-Yo Ma.

The Glenn Gould Foundation is pleased to announce that Philip Glass has selected gifted young American composer and pianist Timo Andres to receive The City of Toronto Glenn Gould Protégé Prize of $15,000 (CAD).  Each Glenn Gould Prize Laureate receives $100,000 (CAD) and selects an outstanding young artist who shows the promise of an exceptional lifetime contribution to enriching the human condition through the arts, such as that exhibited by the young Glenn Gould. Mr. Andres will perform in the November 26 concert, and will be presented the Protégé Prize by Philip Glass.

"I've known Timo Andres for the last 4-5 years, both as a composer and performer . . . He combines a brilliant compositional mind with a wonderful sense of interpretation of music. I am very pleased to have him present in this very special way at this concert," said Philip Glass.

Tickets to The Genius of Philip Glass go on sale Tuesday, September 6 at 10 a.m. Don't miss this unique event and exhilarating performance, Saturday, November 26 at 8 p.m. at the National Arts Centre. Tickets start at $25 and are available online at Nac-cna.ca.  

ABOUT THE GLENN GOULD FOUNDATION

The Glenn Gould Foundation honours Glenn Gould's spirit and legacy by celebrating brilliance, promoting creativity and transforming lives through the power of music and the arts with the Foundation's signature activities, including The Glenn Gould Prize. An international symbol of creative excellence, The Glenn Gould Prize – which has been referred to as "The Nobel Prize of the Arts" – is awarded biennially to a living individual for a unique lifetime contribution that has enriched the human condition through the arts. Prize laureates include Leonard Cohen, Oscar Peterson, Dr. José Antonio Abreu founder of El Sistema, and Yo-Yo Ma. Visit www.glenngould.ca, follow us on Facebook: TheGlennGouldFoundation or Twitter: @GlennGouldFndn.

ABOUT THE NAC ORCHESTRA

Formed in 1969 at the opening of Canada's National Arts Centre, the NAC Orchestra gives over 100 performances a year with renowned artists including Itzhak Perlman, Renée Fleming, James Ehnes, Emanuel Ax and Yo-Yo Ma. It is noted for the passion and clarity of its performances and recordings, its ground-breaking teaching and outreach programs, and nurturing of Canadian creativity. In addition to a full series of subscription concerts at the National Arts Centre each season, tours are undertaken to regions throughout Canada and around the world. In September 2015 Alexander Shelley began his tenure as Music Director with the National Arts Centre's Orchestra. Since its inception the Orchestra has commissioned 80 works, mostly from Canadian composers and has made over 40 commercial recordings.

SOURCE Glenn Gould Foundation

Karen Lorenowicz, The Glenn Gould Foundation, [email protected], 416-245-2475; Andrea Ruttan, NAC Orchestra, [email protected], 613-947-7000 ext 335