Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass’s work has long been linked with minimalism, being built up from repetitive phrases and shifting layers. He described himself as a composer of “music with repetitive structures”.

glass was born in Baltimore, Maryland. Glass developed his appreciation of music from his father, who owned Record Music store. Glass spent many hours listening to Records, developing his knowledge of and taste in music. This openness to modern sounds affected Glass at an early age. He studied the flute as a child. At the age of 15, he entered an accelerated college program at the University of Chicago. he studied mathematics and philosophy.  In Chicago, he discovered the serialism of Anton Webern and composed a twelve-tone string trio. He next enrolled at Juilliard. he had by then rejected serial techniques in composition. He now favoured more conventional styles like the music of Ives, Copland, and Virgil Thomson.  After leaving Juilliard in 1962, Glass moved to Pittsburgh. he worked as a school-based composer-in-residence in the public school system, composing various choral, chamber, and orchestral music. In 1964, Glass received a Fulbright Scholarship. his studies took him to Paris to study with the Nadia Boulanger. from autumn of 1964 to summer of 1966, this period of study influenced his work throughout his life.

In parallel with work in experimental theatre, Glass worked as a music director and composer on a film score, (Chappaqua). Collaborating with Ravi Shankar and Alla Rakha, which added another important influence on Glass’s musical thinking. Glass then left Paris for northern India in 1966. Returning to New York City in March 1967, Glass attended a performance of works by Steve Reich. Reich’s music left a deep impression on him and led to a simplification of his style.After returning to New York in 1967, Glass struggled financially. He had to work as a cab driver and plumber for a time. Eventually, he established the Glass Ensemble in the early ’70s. This group consisted of seven players and used keyboards, woodwind instruments, and amplification of vocals. Though it also struggled at the outset, it eventually became immensely popular.
Between summer of 1967 and the end of 1968, Glass composed nine works experimenting with his new-found minimalist approach. Eventually Glass’s music grew less austere, becoming more complex and dramatic. often encountering hostile reaction from critics but Glass’s music was also met with enthusiasm from younger artists. He now prefers to describe himself as a composer of “music with repetitive structures”

Glass’ Einstein on the Beach was staged in 1976 and was his first large-scale triumph. By this time, too, his Ensemble was in greater demand, as were a good many of his other works. Since the 1980s, Glass’ popularity has grown Since the success of his 1982 “Company”, for string quartet . Other successes include the 1987 violin concerto, and the 1997 score, Kundun, written for the Martin Scorsese film. There have been other operas and Among other works is the remarkable Monsters of Grace. Written for voices and instrumental ensemble it is a mystical composition that uses light and other effects in performance.

His website cites: There has been nothing “minimalist” about his output. He has collaborated with Allen Ginsberg, David Bowie, Paul Simon, Yo-Yo Ma, Leonard Cohen, and Doris Lessing and others. Glass remains one of the most important American composers. His music is distinctive, haunting, and evocative. Either performed by itself or in collaboration with other media, his compositions move the listener to unexplored places. More recently, a major re-examination of Glass’s oeuvre has led him to be labelled the Last Romantic.