Philip Glass Ensemble in Portland

Philip Glass Ensemble is an American group founded by composer Philip Glass in New York City in 1968 to perform his music. Its amplified keyboards, woodwinds and voices became closely associated with Glass works including Music in Twelve Parts, Einstein on the Beach and the score for Koyaanisqatsi. In 1976, the ensemble performed in the original production of Einstein on the Beach, which premiered at the Festival d’Avignon and later reached the Metropolitan Opera. The musicians returned to the opera for subsequent international revivals, including the production launched in 2012. The group performs as an amplified chamber ensemble, adapting its lineup to the score. Its live cinema programs place the musicians beside a screening and synchronize the score to films including Godfrey Reggio’s Koyaanisqatsi.