Steve Reich reflects on six decades shaping modern music as he turns 90

Composer Steve Reich is marking his 90th birthday with a wave of tributes and performances celebrating a career that helped define minimalist music and left a lasting imprint on popular and classical composition alike.

Reich, whose interest in composition was sparked as a teenager after hearing the music of Igor Stravinsky, has spent more than six decades developing a distinctive style built on repetition, phasing and gradual musical transformation. His influence extends well beyond the classical world; he has been cited as an inspiration by musicians including David Bowie, and his techniques have shaped generations of composers and producers working across genres.

Celebrations mark a milestone year

The anniversary has already been marked by high-profile performances, including the world premiere of Reich's new large-ensemble piece, In All Your Ways, at the Edinburgh festival, and a late-night concert at the BBC Proms. These events reflect the continued demand for Reich's work even as he approaches his 10th decade.

In reflecting on his career, Reich has offered characteristically blunt views on music more broadly, remarking that while good music is good music, most music does not meet that bar — a comment in keeping with his reputation for exacting standards and a clear-eyed view of his own art form.

Reich's early compositions in the 1960s and 1970s, built around tape loops and interlocking rhythmic patterns, helped establish minimalism as a major force in contemporary music, alongside contemporaries such as Philip Glass and Terry Riley. His work has since been performed by major orchestras and ensembles worldwide and has informed the development of electronic, ambient and post-minimalist music.

As new performances of his music continue to be staged around his 90th birthday, Reich's influence on the broader musical landscape shows no sign of waning.