July 30, 2026—Philip Glass, one of America’s most esteemed composers, will celebrate his 90th birthday on January 31, 2027. The multi-season celebration includes the 50th anniversary of Glass and the late Bob Wilson’s seminal theater work Einstein on the Beach.
Fifty years on from its 1976 premiere, Einstein on the Beach remains one of the defining artistic works of the 20th century: changing expectations of what opera could be, Einstein expanded the possibilities of the art form. It broke nearly every convention of opera; a five-hour work without a traditional narrative, the work demonstrated that opera could be built from image, movement, repetition, and music, opening new creative paths for composers, directors, choreographers, and designers.
Held in memory of Wilson, the 50th anniversary is both a celebration and a new chapter. The Philip Glass Ensemble returns with a concert version in major cities worldwide, starting at the Brooklyn Academy of Music November 2026, while a major new fully staged experiential production created by English National Opera, Factory International, Park Avenue Armory and Improbable, directed by Phelim McDermott, is to premiere June 2027 at Aviva Studios, Manchester, UK. Narva Opera Festival presents a one-evening-only new staged production in Narva, Estonia on August 15, 2026, and ICTUS and Collegium Vocale Gent continue their concert version tour in Fall 2026. On the date of the 50th Anniversary, July 25th, late Bob Wilson’s annual benefit at the Watermill Center honored the work with special excerpts and “inspired by” performances. More special moments to be announced.
Created by Robert Wilson and Philip Glass in 1976, the original production premiered at the Avignon Festival on July 25, 1976, causing a rave of discourse about upending conventions of score, plot and staging wherever it went on its initial tour across Europe. In a watershed cultural moment, the opera arrived at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York in November 1976 with two performances which became the stuff of myth. Subsequent productions brought the Wilson/Glass vision into focus, including 1984 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music which incorporated choreography by Lucinda Childs for the first time. Glass and Wilson’s direct involvement culminated in a touring production 2012-2015, for the last time under the supervision of the original creators, which harnessed the latest technical advances, especially in Wilson’s lighting, and the crystalline musical fluency of the Philip Glass Ensemble.
Einstein on the Beach has influenced multiple generations of creatives in and out of the field of opera. The work's visual language, staging, lighting, choreography, and score have resonated across theater, dance, film, fashion, and popular culture, making it one of the most influential works of contemporary performance. Since its original production, new directors and companies took on Einstein on the Beach, including productions in Stuttgart (1988), Dortmund (2017), Geneva (2019), Kanagawa (2022), Basel, Berlin and Vienna (2021-22), Buenos Aires (2024) and a recent traveling production by ICTUS ensemble. The work celebrates 50 years with new productions, and performances by the original performers of the work, The Philip Glass Ensemble, all in honor of the late Bob Wilson.
Philip’s 90th birthday seasons of notable performances and events also include: the world premiere performances of Glass’ Symphony No. 15: Lincoln, the first of which was held in Boston at Tanglewood on July 5, with following premieres in Santa Cruz July 31, and in Newport News, Virginia in September; global celebrations across opera, theater, dance, symphony and chamber concerts, film and special performances; and special releases from Orange Mountain Music. Find a full calendar of announced performances below.
ABOUT PHILIP GLASS
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Philip Glass is a graduate of the University of Chicago and the Juilliard School. In the early 1960s, Glass spent two years of intensive study in Paris with Nadia Boulanger and, while there, earned money by transcribing Ravi Shankar’s Indian music into Western notation. By 1974, Glass had a number of innovative projects creating a large collection of new music for The Philip Glass Ensemble and the Mabou Mines Theater Company. This period culminated in Music in Twelve Parts and the landmark opera Einstein on the Beach, for which he collaborated with Robert Wilson. Since Einstein, Glass has expanded his repertoire to include music for opera, dance, theater, chamber ensemble, orchestra and film. His scores have received Academy Award nominations (Kundun, The Hours, Notes on a Scandal) and a Golden Globe (The Truman Show). Glass’s memoir Words Without Music was published by Liveright Books in 2015. Glass received the Praemium Imperiale in 2012, the U.S. National Medal of the Arts from President Barack Obama in 2016, and the 41st Kennedy Center Honors in 2018.
Philip Glass Solo, Glass’ most recent album, came out in January 2024 to acclaim from The New York Times, NPR Music and more. Further recent works include a circus opera Circus Days and Nights, Prelude pour Orgue written for the reopening of Notre Dame in Paris, FR, and Symphony No. 15.
PHILIP GLASS 90TH BIRTHDAY PERFORMANCES MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED
May 23, 2026-January 7, 2027—La Belle et la Bête—Augsburg, DE—Staatstheater Augsburg July 25-September 12, 2026—Tao of Glass—London, UK— Tao of Glass July 31, 2026—Symphony No. 15—Santa Cruz, US—Cabrillo Festival July 31, 2026—Complete Piano Etudes—La Roque-d'Anthéron, FR—Piano Festival of La Roque d’Anthéron August 9, 2026—Violin Concerto No. 2—Taipei, TW—Taipei Symphony Orchestra August 12, 2026—Violin Concerto No. 1—Chicago, US—Grant Park Music Festival August 15, 2026—Einstein on the Beach—Narva, EE—Narva Opera Festival August 25-26, 2026—Symphony No. 1—Tokyo, JP—Future Orchestra Classics September 5-10, 2026—Lucinda Childs DANCE—Lyon, FR—Opera de Lyon September 7, 2026—Be The Sky—Brisbane, AU—Brisbane Festival September 12, 2026—Complete Piano Etudes—Houston, US—Performing Arts Houston September 16, 2026—Powaqqatsi Live to Film—Rome, IT—PGE Romaeurope Festival September 16, 2026—Einstein on the Beach—Gent, BE—Festival van Vlaanderen September 18, 2026—Glassworks and Early Works—Stockholm, SE—PGE Cirkus September 20, 2026—Glassworks and Early Works—Copenhagen, DK—PGE Royal Danish Academy of Music September 22, 2026—Einstein on the Beach—Valencia, SP—Ensems Festival September 25-27, 2026—Symphony No. 15—Newport News, US—Virginia Symphony September 26-October 31, 2026—Waiting for the Barbarians—NL—Nederlandse Reisopera October 2, 2026—Mishima Concerto—Hague, NL—Residentie Orkest den Haag October 9-24, 2026—Tirol Concerto—Oslo, NO—Norwegian National Ballet October 10, 2026—1000 Airplanes on the Roof (excerpts)—Hamburg, DE—Elbphilharmonie October 13, 2026—Violin Concerto No. 1—Paris, FR— Paris Philharmonie October 15-18, 2026—In the Upper Room—Philadelphia, US—Philadelphia Ballet October 21-27, 2026—Petal (Les Enfants Terribles) —New York, NY—American Ballet Theater October 24-25, 2026—Violin Concerto No. 1—Miami, US—New World Symphony October 29, 2026—Violin Concerto No. 1—Sofia, BG—Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra October 30, 2026—Hydrogen Jukebox, Magic Psalm (Etude No.17)—Stanford, US—Stanford Live November 1, 2026—Complete Piano Etudes—Charleston, US—Gaillard Center November 15, 2026—Vanessa Wagner, Complete Piano Etudes—Rome, IT—Romaeuropa Festival November 19-21, 2026—Einstein on the Beach (in concert)— New York, NY—Brooklyn Academy of Music November 19-21, 2026—GLA55, Early Works—Berlin, DE—Berliner Festspiele November 20, 2026—Complete Piano Etudes—Berklee, US—Cal Performances November 25-29, 2026— Lucinda Childs DANCE—Paris, FR—Festival d’Automne December 4, 2026—Violin Concerto No. 1—Vancouver, CA—Vancouver Symphony December 5-6, 2026—Double Piano Concerto—Dresden, DE—Dresdner Philharmonie December 11-16, 2026 —GLA55, Early Works—Paris, FR—La Vilette December 11, 2026— Lucinda Childs DANCE—Dijon, FR—Dijon Opera House December 16-18, 2026—Violin Concerto No. 1—Munich, DE—Munich Philharmonic January 20-22, 2027—GLA55, Early Works—Antwerp, BE—De Singel January 8-9, 2027—Violin Concerto No. 1—Charleston, US—Charleston Symphony January 9-February 20, 2027— Akhnaten—Berlin, DE— Komische Oper January 14-15, 2027—Symphony No. 6—Brno, CZ—Brno Filharmonie January 14-16, 2027—Another Look at Harmony Part IV—New York, US—NYCC January 21, 2027— Symphony No. 1, Symphony For Eight, The Hours —Denver, US—Colorado Symphony January 24-31, 2027—Philip Glass Festival—Montreal, CA—Bourgie Hall January 26-30, 2027—GLA55, Early Works—Brussels, BE—Théâtre National January 27-29, 2027—Philip Glass @ 90—San Francisco, US—SF Performances Pivot Festival January 28, 2027—Symphony No. 1—Malmö, SE—Malmö Symfoniorkester January 29, 2027—Violin Concerto No. 2—Hong Kong, CN—Hong Kong Philharmonic January 30, 2027—Philip Glass 90: Grand Evening Concert—The Hague, NL—Amare January 31, 2027—The 90th Birthday Concert: Symphony No. 15, —Violin Concerto No. 1, “Mechanical Ballet” from The Voyage—New York, US— Carnegie Hall January 31, 2027—Glass Birthday Festival: —Symphony 15, Music in 12 Parts, String Quartets—London, UK—Southbank Centre January 31, 2027—Kronos Quartet, Philip Glass 90th— Los Angeles, US— CAP UCLA February 3-11, 2027—La Belle et la Bête—Paris, FR—Theatre du Chatelet February 3, 2027—Dance Nos. 1-5—London, UK—Barbican Centre February 11-13, 2027— Violin Concerto No. 1, —Symphony No. 11, Days and Nights in Rocinha —Boston, US—Boston Symphony Orchestra February 12-13, 2027—GLA55, Early Works—Rouen, FR—Opéra Orchestre Normandie Rouen February 13-14, 2027—Symphony No. 3—Los Angeles, US—Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra February 16-17, 2027—GLA55, Early Works—Heerlen, NL—PLT Theater Heerlen February 18, 2027—The Hours, Symphony No. 3—Manitoba, CA—Manitoba Chamber Orchestra February 19, 2027—Symphony No. 8—Osaka, JP—Japan Century Symphony Orchestra February 23, 2027—GLA55, Early Works—Hasselt, BE—Cultuurcentrum Hasselt February 24, 2027—Víkingur Ólafsson, Various piano works—Los Angeles, US—Walt Disney Hall February 24, 2027—Violin Concerto No. 2 —Manitoba, CA—Manitoba Chamber Orchestra February 25-26, 2027—Double Concerto for Violin and Cello—Leipzig, DE—Gewandhausorchester February 26-27, 2027—GLA55, Early Works—Kortrijk, BE—Schouwburg Kortrijk February 28, 2027—Víkingur Ólafsson, Various piano works—Boston, US—Symphony Hall February 28, 2027—String Quartet No. 2—Munich, DE—Munich Philharmonic March 2, 2027—Víkingur Ólafsson, Various piano works—New York, US— Carnegie Hall March 9, 2027—Koyaanisqatsi Live to Film—Minneapolis, US—Northrop March 12-13, 2027—Violin Concerto No. 1, Symphony No. 15, Mad Rush——Los Angeles, US—LA Philharmonic March 13-April 5, 2027—In the Upper Room—Vienna, AT—Wiener Staatsoper March 18-20, 2027—Brooklyn Rider, String Quartets—Minneapolis, US—Northrop March 19-21, 2027—In the Upper Room—New York, US—American Ballet Theater March 20-21, 2027—Lucinda Childs DANCE—Lausanne, CH—Opera Lausanne March 24, 2027—Glass and Ginsberg, Various—New York, NY—Morgan Library March 27-April 4, 2027—Metamorphosis 1-5—Amsterdam, NL—Dutch National Ballet April 2-4, 2027—Violin Concerto No. 1—Aix-en-Provence, FR—Munich Philharmonic April 17, 2027—Satyagraha—Detroit, US—Detroit Opera April 25, 2027—Koyaanisqatsi Live to Film—Philadelphia, US—Penn Live Arts May 14-23, 2027—Glass Pieces—Kansas City, US—Kansas City Ballet May 19-23, 2027—The Juniper Tree—Chicago, US—Chicago Opera Theater May 22-June 5, 2027—Justin Peck, Four Movements for Two Pianos—Copenhagen, DK—Det Kongelige Teater May 25, 2027—Excerpt from Akhnaten—New York, US—Met Opera May 27-29, 2027—Cocteau Trilogy—Paris, FR—Philharmonie de Paris May 31, 2027—The Light—Chicago, US—Chicago Symphony June 4-6, 2027—Symphony No. 15—Baltimore, US—Baltimore Symphony June 7, 2027—Maki Namekawa, Various piano works—Paris, FR—Philharmonie de Paris June 10-26, 2027—Tirol Concerto—Vienna, AT—Volksoper Wein Ballet June 11-12, 2027—Violin Concerto No. 1—Amsterdam, NL—Het Concertgebouw June 26, 2027—Víkingur Ólafsson, Various piano works—Vienna, AS—Musikverein Wien June 29, 2027—Víkingur Ólafsson, Various piano works—Hamburg, DE—Elbphilharmonie June 2027—Einstein on the Beach—Manchester UK—Aviva Studios July 3-24, 2027—Orphée—D—Ses Moines, US—Des Moines Metro Opera November 11, 2027—Symphony No. 15—Turku, FL—Turku Philharmonic Orchestra
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