Photo: Pasquale Salerno / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Philip Glass is one of those rare composers who genuinely rewired how I hear music. His repetitive, slowly shifting structures sound austere on paper but become hypnotic and oddly emotional in practice. I find it fascinating that a University of Chicago intellect channeled itself into something so physical and trance-like. Spanning symphonies, opera, and film scores, and honored with the Praemium Imperiale and a BAFTA, he proved minimalism could be both serious and widely loved. What I respect most is his stubborn persistence with a single idea, refining it for decades. He didn't follow a movement; he built one, and the late 20th century sounds different because of him.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Philip Glass
- Name (Japanese)
- フィリップ・グラス
- Reading
- ふぃりっぷ・ぐらす
- Born
- January 31, 1937 (age 89)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aquarius / Ox
- Origin
- Baltimore, Maryland, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- composer / pianist / film score composer / librettist / supporting actor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- University of Chicago
Awards & achievements
- Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres
- 2012 Praemium Imperiale
- 2003 BAFTA Award for Best Original Music
- 2015 Glenn Gould Prize
- James Parks Morton Interfaith Award
- Fulbright Scholarship
- Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Classic Brit Awards
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Symphony No. 7 | — | |
| Notable work | Monsters of Grace | — | |
| Notable work | Symphony No. 4 | — | |
| Notable work | La Belle et la Bête | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Philip Glass born?
Born January 31, 1937 (age 89).
Where is Philip Glass from?
Philip Glass is from Baltimore, Maryland, United States.
What does Philip Glass do?
Philip Glass works as composer, pianist, film score composer, librettist, supporting actor.
What is Philip Glass known for?
Notable works include Symphony No. 7, Monsters of Grace, Symphony No. 4.
Composer — see all → · Pianist — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-17
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.