Composer Steve Reich wins Pulitzer Prize for piece written for University of Richmond's eighth blackbird; world premiere held on campus in March 2008
April 21, 2009
Composer Steve Reich has won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize in music for "Double Sextet," a piece he wrote for the University of Richmond's Grammy Award-winning ensemble-in-residence, eighth blackbird.
The composition had its world premiere at the university's Modlin Center for the Arts in March 2008. The university, along with several partners, commissioned the work.
Reich is an American composer considered a pioneer in minimalist music. Many of his compositions make use of repetitive figures and slow harmonic rhythms. The New York Times recently called him "our greatest living composer," while the New Yorker hailed him as "the most original musical thinker of our time.
Kathy Panoff, Modlin Center director, said the center "has made a long-standing commitment to the development of new work. Universities are at the center of innovation, research and development, and at university-based arts centers, that is best achieved through the commissioning of new work. It's about bringing our students to the full realization that art is not just about the performance; it's about the creative process. Reich is a seminal composer of his generation."
Reich was on campus meeting with students while eighth blackbird rehearsed the piece, and he attended the world premiere.
Richmond president Edward L. Ayers said, "The university is thrilled to have provided the venue for Steve Reich's prize-winning work. It was an electrifying night, with eighth blackbird in great form. We look forward to more exciting collaborations in the future."
Eighth blackbird became Richmond's ensemble-in-residence in fall 2004. In February 2008, the group won its first Grammy for the recording "strange imaginary animals." Regarded as one of the premier new music groups of its generation, eighth blackbird has established a reputation for provocative and engaging performances, specializing in chamber music by living composers. They have been praised for making new music accessible to wide audiences.
As visiting instructors, the six musicians—pianist Lisa Kaplan, violin-violist Matt Albert, percussionist Matthew Duvall, clarinetist Michael J. Maccaferri, cellist Nicholas Photinos and flutist Tim Munro—teach courses focusing on contemporary music, composition, performance practice and chamber music coaching.
"We are incredibly excited that 'Double Sextet' was the Pulitzer winner this year," said Kaplan. She said the Modlin Center's contribution as co-commissioner "was absolutely essential in making this project happen, and for that, we are extremely grateful. Their participation in the commission shows not only their ongoing commitment to new music by living composers, but also their commitment to expanding the education of their students."
The performance "was truly an unforgettable experience for me. I remember the thrill I felt at performing a new piece written just for us by Steve Reich, a composer I've admired for a long time," Kaplan said.
Reich also won the 2006 Preamium Imperial Award in Music, an international award in areas of the arts not covered by the Nobel Prize, and the 2007 Polar Prize from the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. He is a graduate of Cornell University and Mills College and studied at the Julliard School of Music.