Glass Facts

Born: Jan 31, 1937 
Lives: New York

Studied: In Paris with the “unforgiving” Nadia Boulanger
Previous Jobs: Taxi driver, crane operator, removalist
Breakthrough: Music in Fifths (1969), Music in Twelve Parts (1974)
Best known for: Glassworks (1981), Koyaanisqatsi (1982), The Truman Show (1998)

A couple of summers ago I was sitting in a hot Brooklyn backyard among musicians from MATA, a festival for young composers that Philip Glass helped set up in the ’90s. As cold drinks were gratefully drained I found myself chatting to a cheery man who introduced himself as Glass’s tour manager. At one point he drew from his back pocket a crumpled sheet of paper...