Minimalist Icons: Philip Glass

While he’s rightly credited as helping to invent classical Minimalism, Philip Glass’ artistic vision is robust enough to include music of deep beauty and poignant melancholy that touches lifelong fans and the classical-curious alike. With his Violin Concerto No. 1, he composed a piece he thought his father would like—he even made the first three notes “D-A-D.” It’s been called “a wonderful introduction to the composer’s work” (Violinist.com), and the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s 2025 recording with Anne Akiko Meyers was hailed by Gramophone for its “sweeping dramatic curves and classical dimensions.” Meyers reprises her role here. Glass’ new Symphony No. 15 continues his musical exploration of titanic historical figures. Having written music about Einstein and Gandhi, among others, he turns his sights to Abraham Lincoln, taking inspiration from the 1838 Lyceum Address, the future president’s famous rebuke of mob rule and anti-Black violence.