Philip Glass awarded the Eleventh Glenn Gould Prize

TORONTO, April 14, 2015 /CNW/ - American composer Philip Glass has been chosen as the Eleventh Glenn Gould Prize Laureate.  Through his operas, symphonies, film scores, compositions for ensembles, and wide-ranging collaborations with artists from many disciplines, Philip Glass has had an extraordinary impact on the musical, artistic and intellectual life of his times.

"Our jury has made a brilliant choice in selecting Philip Glass," said Brian Levine, Executive Director of The Glenn Gould Foundation.  "At the start of his career his music was seen as radical and even derided for being contrary to the prevailing musical current, but his work advanced solidly until it permeated our cultural consciousness; it has exerted a profound influence on a whole generation of composers, filmmakers, dramatists and opera directors.  In his work and life, he reveals himself to be a man of deep spirituality and conscience as reflected in the themes of his operatic creations and film scores. We are honoured to present the Prize to an artist of such originality, conviction and vision."

"I am very pleased to be the winner of the Eleventh Glenn Gould Prize.  It is for me a special honor as I am one of the many musicians who have been inspired by him.  Glenn Gould's name is associated with a lifetime of excellence in music interpretation and performance.  Also I am aware that this award places me in the company of some of the most celebrated names in the broad spectrum of the music of our time. It is, therefore, with great pleasure that I accept this award," stated Philip Glass.

"I am thrilled with our choice of Laureate," said Bob Ezrin, Chair of the Glenn Gould Prize Jury. "Philip Glass is one of the towering figures of modern music. With an iconic career that has spanned fifty years, his body of work is unrivalled in its breadth and depth.  He not only helped to reclaim tonality as a vital force in serious music, he took minimalism and brought it from the fringes of the avant-garde to the mainstream where it has literally provided the subscore to most of our lives.  We hear his music and music he has influenced on stage and screen – virtually everywhere. Finally he is a man of principle and deep spirituality who has used his art to help elevate humanity. On behalf of the jury, I can say that we couldn't be more proud of this decision."

A prolific and respected composer, his early work is associated with the minimalist movement, although Glass preferred to speak of himself as a composer of "music with repetitive structures."  He has written a large collection of new music for the Philip Glass Ensemble, which he founded in the late 1960s and with which he still performs on keyboards.  His operas, including one of his best known works, the landmark Einstein on the Beach, along with Satyagraha, Akhnaten, and The Voyage have played throughout the world's major opera houses.  His repertoire includes music for dance, opera, chamber ensemble, orchestra, experimental theatre and film, including the Academy Award-winning The Hours for which he received a Best Score nomination, and the iconic Koyaanisqatsi.  Since the 1960s, Glass has collaborated with artists from pop, rock and world music plus the worlds of dance and film including Twyla Tharp, Woody Allen, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Paul Simon, Kronos Quartet and Yo-Yo Ma, to name a few, garnering him a wide, multi-generational audience.

Philip Glass was chosen from a distinguished list of international candidates nominated by the general public and will receive a cash award and the Glenn Gould Prize statue by Canadian artist Ruth Abernethy.  This year, The Glenn Gould Foundation has announced that it will double the award to $100,000 (CAD).  Mr. Glass will choose an outstanding young artist to receive The City of Toronto Glenn Gould Protégé Prize of $15,000 (CAD), an individual who embodies the qualities of creative promise, innovation and career potential demonstrated by Gould in his youth.   The recipient of the Protégé Prize will be announced later this year. Both Mr. Glass and his protégé will receive their awards at a gala ceremony and their work will be honoured through a series of public events presented within the next twelve months.

The Eleventh Glenn Gould Prize Jury included singer, actress and composer Petula Clark, CBE (UK); author and broadcaster The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, PC, CC, COM, CMM, CD (Canada); tenor Jay Hunter Morris (United States); arts philanthropist HRH Julie of Luxembourg (Switzerland/United States), Prospero Pictures president, and chairman of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television Martin Katz (Canada); pipa virtuoso and Grammy Award-nominee Wu Man (China/United States); Booker Prize-winning novelist and poet Michael Ondaatje, OC (Canada); renowned actor, director, and writer Sarah Polley, OC (Canada); and acclaimed soprano Deborah Voigt (United States).

About The Glenn Gould Prize

An international symbol of creative excellence, The Glenn Gould Prize is awarded biennially to a living individual for a unique lifetime contribution that has enriched the human condition through the arts.  A tribute to Glenn Gould's artistry and his multifaceted contributions to culture, the prize promotes the vital connection between artistic excellence and the transformation of lives.  Past laureates include Robert Lepage (2013), Leonard Cohen (2011), Dr. José Antonio Abreu (2008) founder of El Sistema, Pierre Boulez (2002), Yo-Yo Ma (1999), Oscar Peterson (1993) and Lord Yehudi Menuhin (1990). For more information visit www.glenngould.ca.