A member of the generation of American artists who created the musical movement of Minimalism, Steve Reich (New York, 1936) is, along with John Cage, La Monte Young, Terry Riley, and Philip Glass, a prominent voice in the contemporary scene and, despite his advanced age, still an active creator and a reference for artists from different disciplines. For this reason, the Palau de la Música Catalana wants to pay tribute to him with a special program dedicated to his work. Steve Reich is synonymous with contemporaneity. And he is for several reasons. The introduction of new experimental composition techniques, such as the use of loops in cassette tapes (It’s gonna rain and Come out), or microphone feedback (Pendulum music), in the sixties, marked a before and after in the world of musical creation. Subsequently, Steve Reich moved away from pure experimentation to practice purely instrumental creation in fundamental works, such as Drumming or Music for 18 musicians.

Recipient of several awards, such as the Polar Music Prize or the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award 2013 in contemporary music, his work has inspired many artists from subsequent generations and diverse genres, such as composers David Lang, Brian Eno, and Nico Muhly, but also significant visual artists, such as Richard Serra or Gerhard Richter. The Palau presents a series of concerts featuring Reich's essential work so that the audience can discover a vast and diverse catalog that encapsulates an essential part of the history of contemporary music.