Minimalist classicist composer Philip Glass is one of the most influential artists of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. His prolific and immersive work includes more than 20 operas, 10 symphonies, musical theater works, several concertos, and scores for his own group, the Philip Glass Ensemble. Glass is the subject of no less than six documentary films, and his wide-ranging collaborators include David Bowie, Twyla Tharp, Allen Ginsberg, and a host of other artists across a range of disciplines. For his film scores he has been nominated for and won multiple Golden Globe, Oscar, and BAFTA Awards. Words Without Music depicts Glass’s creative process, the stories behind his most famous music, and the life of the man who almost singlehandedly reshaped the sound of modern classical music.

In conversation with composer, Kile Smith