Philip Glass Awarded the Eleventh Glenn Gould Prize

Toronto (ots/PRNewswire) -

A fearlessly innovative, collaborative and prolific composer

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
HonourableAdrienne 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 http://www.glenngould.ca.

Media Contact: Karen Lorenowicz, KL Strategic Communications,
+1-416-245-2475, karen.lorenowicz@gmail.com

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