STEVE REICH 90

STEVE REICH AT 90: ANNIVERSARY CONCERT

This October, one of the most important composers of our era, Steve Reich, celebrates his 90th birthday. In the 2026–2027 season, this anniversary will be commemorated around the world, with special programmes and festivals dedicated to the icon of minimalism taking place across Europe, the United Kingdom, North America, and Asia. A concert dedicated to Steve Reich’s 90th birthday will also take place in Lithuania: on October 27, the Lithuanian National Philharmonic will present some of the composer’s most notable works, performed by leading Latvian and Lithuanian percussionists Guntars Freibergs, Edgars Zaurs, Pavel Giunter, Sigitas Gailius, and acclaimed pianists Paulius Andersson and Rihards Plešanovs.

“There are only a handful of living composers who can legitimately claim to have changed the course of music history – Steve Reich is one of them,” The Guardian has written. The New Yorker called him “the most original musical thinker of our time”, while The New York Times described him as “one of the great composers of this century”.

Since the 1960s, S. Reich’s works It’s Gonna Rain, Drumming, Music for 18 Musicians, Tehillim, Different Trains, and many others have contributed to the formation of a new musical aesthetic. Pulsation, repetition, and the gradual transformation of musical structures have acquired particular importance in his work.

Steve Reich’s musical ideas remain relevant to this day and extend far beyond the boundaries of classical music. The composer’s work has influenced contemporary dance, visual art, theatre, and popular music. The popularity of his works is also reflected in the audiences they attract to concert halls. For example, in October 2014, Reich’s Quartet was performed at two consecutive sold-out concerts at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, shortly after Jonny Greenwood, guitarist of the renowned British rock band Radiohead, performed the composer’s Electric Counterpoint at the Glastonbury Festival.

Reich’s music is particularly frequently featured in dance performances, with numerous renowned choreographers choosing his works. Among them are world-renowned dance masters Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, Jiří Kylián, Jerome Robbins, Justin Peck, Wayne McGregor, Benjamin Millepied, and Christopher Wheeldon.

The composer’s international recognition is reflected in some of the world’s most important music awards. In 2009, Reich received the Pulitzer Prize for Music for Double Sextet, while his works and recordings have also received three Grammy Awards. The composer has been awarded the Praemium Imperiale in Tokyo, the Polar Music Prize in Stockholm, the Golden Lion of the Venice Biennale, the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award, and the Gold Medal of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

At the anniversary concert in Vilnius, Steve Reich’s music will be performed by leading Lithuanian and Latvian percussionists and acclaimed pianists. The concert will feature internationally renowned Latvian percussionist Guntars Freibergs, who has extensive experience as a soloist and recital performer. Having studied at the conservatories of Strasbourg and Brussels and at the Anton Bruckner Private University in Linz, G. Freibergs has won awards at various international competitions. As a soloist, he has performed with the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonietta Rīga, Musica Viva, and other orchestras, while his solo recitals have been presented in many European countries.

On stage, G. Freibergs will also be joined by his student, talented young-generation Latvian percussionist Edgars Zaurs, who completed his studies in the Netherlands