The music of Steve Reich has seen major performances and tours. Here are a few highlights from 2013:

  • In November 2013 the Colin Currie Group and Synergy Vocals performed Music for 18  Musicians, Music for Pieces of Wood, Pendulum Music and Clapping Music together with Steve Reich at Royal Festival Hall in London’s South Bank Centre.
  • Later that month, the Amadinda Quartet and Friends performed Music for 18 Musicians, Double Sextet, Mallet Quartet and Clapping Music, together with Steve Reich at the Liszt Academy in Budapest
  • In March of 2013 the London Sinfonietta presented the World Premiere of Radio Rewrite as well as Double Sextet, 2×5, Electric Counterpoint and Clapping Music together with Steve Reich at Royal Festival Hall in London. Ivan Hewitt of the Telegraph wrote: “ what gave pleasure was seeing how thoroughly the borrowed material turned into Reich. It was a fine display of compositional mastery, which had nothing to do with remix  culture, and everything to do with old-fashioned virtues of harmony and counterpoint.” The Guardian commented, “Motoric, rhythmic patterns drive the music inexorably towards a sort of ecstasy.” The Financial Times wrote, “Radio Rewrite is a rich and impressive ensemble piece for non-rock instruments.” Colin Greenwood, Radiohead’s bass player remarked on BBC, “It’s fantastic, and so exciting…you’re seeing it through someone else’s eyes, or a prism, the different refraction. For that, we’re all incredibly grateful.”
  • Later in March 2013 Alarm Will Sound presented the American Premiere of Radio Rewrite, along with City Life, Four Excerpts from Genesis (from The Cave) and Clapping Music at Stanford University. In November 2013 the same ensemble presented the New York Premiere of the piece at the Metropolitan Museums’s Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium.
  • In June 2013, 2×5, Electric Counterpoint and Clapping Music  were performed by the Bang on a Can All Stars and Steve Reich at the Rock oriented Bloc Festival in Cambersands, Sussex, UK and then the Gdansk Rock Festival featured Music for 18 Musicians and Drumming – Part One performed by the Ensemble Modern and Steve Reich in July 2013

Photo L to R:  Colin Currie, Steve Reich