The Philip Glass Ensemble To Perform At Mechanics Hall In Worcester

The world-renowned Philip Glass Ensemble makes its Music Worcester debut on Friday, October 18th at Mechanics Hall. Tickets are on sale now at musicworcester.org.

The Philip Glass Ensemble (PGE), composed of the principal performers of the work of the iconic composer, will perform two pieces at this concert; Glassworks (1981), and Music in Eight Parts (1969). The latter was composed in the middle of Glass's Minimalist period, which he defines in his music as existing from 1965 to 1975 – up to and including his opera Einstein on the Beach (1975-76).  

Music in Eight Parts was performed just a handful of times in 1970, but the manuscript was subsequently lost until being found at Christie's Auction House in 2017.  It has since been renewed and rescored for the current ensemble, and was to be featured on a European tour until COVID forced a change in plans. PGE decided to bring the work to life together from their individual home studios, and the subsequent recording was released on Orange Mountain Music in 2020.

“If you're a Picasso fan and you walk into a room full of early Cubism, and there's a painting there that you've never seen before, it's like that,”  Lisa Bielawa, a composer and a vocalist in the Philip Glass Ensemble told the New York Times in a 2020 interview . “It's right at the center of the authentic early period, right in the middle of it.”

“Engaging the Philip Glass Ensemble for opening night of the 2024-2025 Season is a dream come true,” stated Adrien Finlay, Music Worcester Executive Director, “both because their debut is long overdue, but also because of this unique opportunity for attendees to experience a work that was almost lost to posterity.” 

Based in New York City, the Philip Glass Ensemble serves as a laboratory for Glass' music, and they continue to perform his works worldwide. The artists of the PGE recognize their unique position in the history of music of the past half-century, and passing on that legacy is part of their practice. 

Michael Riesman is a composer, conductor, keyboardist, record producer, and Music Director of the Philip Glass Ensemble.  His colleagues with the ensemble include composer-vocalist- producer Lisa Bielawa; producer, engineer, and sound designer Dan Bora; Peter Hess (woodwinds); Ryan Kelly producer; pianist /percussionist Mick Rossi; Sam Sadigursky (woodwinds); and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Sterman.

About Music Worcester

Music Worcester, Inc., originally known as the Worcester County Music Association, for years ran the Worcester Music Festival. Current programs reflect the merger in the mid-1990s of the Festival with the International Artists Series and the MA Jazz Festival. Performances regularly include visiting orchestras and guest soloists, chamber music ensembles and ballet companies, world music and jazz groups, and choral masterworks.  Multiple educational programs currently serve youth and families of greater Worcester: masterclasses by visiting artists, Tickets to Opportunity, Festival Singers, in-school residencies, and the Artist-in-Residency program. Integral to Music Worcester's annual operations, The Worcester Chorus has been part of the organization since the very first concert season in 1858.

Music Worcester presents The Philip Glass Ensemble on Friday, October 18, at 8 pm at Mechanics Hall, 321 Main Street, Worcester, MA.  Tickets and information for all Music Worcester events can be found at musicworcester.org.

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