American composer Philip Glass comes to the University of Puget Sound, Friday, Feb. 16, to present a live multimedia performance celebrating creativity and the art of musical collaboration at Schneebeck Concert Hall at 7 p.m.  The composer uses major collaborations with other artists in his own career to show how such collaborations affect the development of an artist and even shape that artist’s career.



Glass’ musical compositions date back to the mid-1970s and have included works of opera, dance, theater, pieces for full orchestra and chamber ensemble as well as scores for motion pictures and specialty commissioned works.  He wrote the scores for films ranging from “Kundun” to “The Truman Show,” which he won a Golden Globe for in 2002, and “The Hours,” which received the British Academy of Film and Television Arts’ music award the same year.  More recently, Glass composed the music for the Academy Award winning documentary “The Fog of War” as well as the score for the IMAX project “Roving Mars” and a piece for the 2004 Olympics. Glass is also responsible for the music in Neil Burger’s film “The Illusionist.”



“Glass’ music is typically quite beautiful,” says Dr. Gwynne Kuhner Brown, an assistant professor of music history and theory at UPS.  “It’s not as dissonant as much of 20th-century music … . I think his music over the years has become increasingly beautiful and expressive.”

Nevertheless, Brown continues, “the sound of Philip Glass’ music is the quintessential sound of modern music.”



The influence of Glass’ work has not been lost on other observers. The “Daily Telegraph” recently called Glass “the most powerful composer of our time … . What Glass is doing is changing the face of music for our time and all time.”



Much of Glass’ music, which fits generally into the 20th-century style known as minimalism, is characterized by a rhythmic, often driving beat, “with a lot of repetition,” which gives the composer’s compositions a sense of consistency, Brown explains. 



“I think that Glass’ music is consistent no matter what instrument he is writing for,” she adds.  And clearly, Glass has written for a wide range of instruments and across a wide range of musical forms.



“His style is tremendously versatile,” Brown says.  As evidence of that continuing versatility, most recently, Glass released the sound track of his score for the film “Notes on a Scandal.”  And “Appomattox,” Glass’ new opera based on the American Civil War, premiered at the San Francisco Opera in October.



Tickets for Glass’ presentation on “Creativity and Collaboration” are $10; advance purchase is recommended.  Tickets are available on campus at the Wheelock Information Center or by calling 253.879.3419.



[Schneebeck Concert Hall, Friday, Feb. 16, 7 p.m., $10, University of Puget Sound, 1500 N. Warner, Tacoma, 253.879.3419]