LA BELLE ET LA BÊTE - San Francisco Performances

chine A Ecrire (1941, The Typewriter). In 1945,Cocteau directed his adaptation of La Belle etla Bête (Beauty and the Beast), starring hisclose friend Jean Marais as the Beast, Beauty’ssuitor, and the Prince. Cocteau adaptedtwo of his plays to film; The Eagle with TwoHeads and The Storm Within and directedOrpheus which again starred Marais. In 1959,Cocteau made his last film as a director, TheTestament of Orpheus. The elaborate homemovie stars Cocteau and also features cameosfrom many celebrities including PabloPicasso, Yul Brynner and Jean-Pierre Leaud.The artist died of a heart attack at age 74 athis chateau in Milly-la-Foret, France on October11, 1963 after hearing the news of thedeath of another friend, the singer Edith Piaf.Michael Riesman (Conductor; Keyboards,Koyaanisqatsi) is a composer, conductor, keyboardist,and record producer, and has beena member of the Philip Glass Ensemble since1974. He has conducted recordings of a greatnumber of Glass works including Einsteinon the Beach (both recordings), Glassworks,The Photographer, Songs From Liquid Days,Dance Pieces, Music in 12 Parts (both recordings),and Passages, and almost every Glassfilm soundtrack including Koyaanisqatsi(both recordings), Mishima, Powaqqatsi, TheThin Blue Line, Anima Mundi, A Brief Historyof Time, Candyman, Kundun, The TrumanShow, Naqoyqatsi, The Fog of War, Secret Window,Taking Lives, and Undertow. He was thepianist for the Academy-Award-nominatedsoundtrack for The Hours, and has also recordeda solo piano version of that score. Hehas received two Grammy nominations as conductor,for The Photographer and for Kundun.He has conducted and performed on albumsby Paul Simon (Hearts and Bones), Scott Johnson(Patty Hearst), Mike Oldfield (Platinum),Ray Manzarek (Carmina Burana), David Bowie(BlackTie/White Noise), and Gavin Bryars (Jesus’Blood Never Failed Me Yet). Mr. Riesmanreleased an album, Formal Abandon, on theRizzoli label, which originated from a commissionby choreographer Lucinda Childs. Hisfilm scores include Enormous Changes at theLast Minute, Pleasantville (1976), and ChristianBlackwood’s Signed: Lino Brocka. Mr.Riesman studied at Mannes College of Musicand Harvard University, where he received aPh.D., and has taught at Harvard and SUNY-Purchase. He was Composer in Residence atthe Marlboro Music Festival and at the TanglewoodFestival, where he has conducted performancesof his own works.Composer-vocalist Lisa Bielawa (Keyboards;Voice, Koyaanisqatsi) is a 2009 RomePrize winner in Musical Composition. She begantouring with the Philip Glass Ensemble in1992, and in 1997 co-founded the MATA Festival.Bielawa was appointed Artistic Director ofthe San Francisco Girls Chorus in 2013. Gramophonereports, “Bielawa is gaining gale force asa composer, churning out impeccably groomedworks that at once evoke the layered precisionof Vermeer and the conscious recklessness ofJackson Pollock,” and The New York Times describesher music as, “ruminative, pointillisticand harmonically slightly tart.” Recent highlightsof Bielawa’s music include premieres ofRondolette by the string quartet Brooklyn Riderand pianist Bruce Levingston and Double Duetby the Washington Saxophone Quartet; andperformances of Graffiti dell’amante by Bielawawith the Chicago Chamber Musicians in Chicagoand with Brooklyn Rider in New York,Harrisburg, and Rome. Bielawa’s work ChanceEncounter, a project of Creative Capital, waspremiered by soprano Susan Narucki and TheKnights in Lower Manhattan’s Seward Park.Bielawa is currently at work on Airfield Broadcasts,a massive 60-minute work for more than600 musicians which will be premiered on thetarmac of the former Tempelhof Airport in Berlin(May 2013) and at Crissy Field in San Francisco(October 2013). www.lisabielawa.net.Dan Bora (Live Sound Mix, La Belle et LaBête) Dan has proven to be a major force behindNew York City’s New Music scene overthe last ten years. As producer and engineerof albums, theatre, and film scores, he hasworked with renowned artists—including MarinaAbramovic, Antony, Philip Glass, NicoMühly, and groups such as Alarm Will Sound,The Dirty Projectors, Kronos Quartet, TheMagnetic Fields, and Matmos. His credits includethe Academy Award winning Fog of War,the Academy Award nominated The Hours,The Illusionist, Joshua, and Woody Allen’s,Cassandra’s Dream, as well as Robert Wilson’sEinstein on the Beach, and The Life and Deathof Marina Abramovic. His mixing and sounddesign have been praised as “deft”, “provocativeand even poignant…” (New York Times).Hai-Ting Chinn (Mezzo-soprano) performsin a wide range of styles and venues, fromPurcell to Pierrot Lunaire, Cherubino to TheKing & I, J.S. Bach to P.D.Q. Bach. She is currentlyfeatured in the revival and tour of PhillipGlass’ Einstein on the Beach, which willbe performed at venues around the worldthrough October 2013. She has performed withNew York City Opera, The Wooster Group, OperaOmnia,the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra,Israel Philharmonic, Orchestra of St. Luke’s,and the Waverly Consort; and on the stagesof Carnegie Hall, the Mann Center in Philadelphia,the Edinburgh Festival, the VerbierFestival, and London’s West End. She has premierednew works by Tarik O’Regan, Du Yun,Conrad Cummings, Stefan Weisman, YoavGal, and Matt Schickele. Hai-Ting is an Artistin Residence at HERE theater in New York City,where she is developing Science Fair, a stagedsolo show of science set to music.David Crowell (Woodwinds) Brooklynbasedcomposer and instrumentalist DavidCrowell brings a “singular vision that transcendsgenre” (Exclaim) to diverse forms ofcomposed and improvisational music, andhas been praised for compositional work thatis “notable for its crystalline sonic beauty”(Boston Globe). David’s music has been performedat the Lucerne Festival, Carnegie Hall,Museum of Modern Art, Brooklyn Academy ofMusic, Merkin Hall, Mizzou New Music Festivaland the MATA Festival by groups such asthe JACK Quartet, Alarm Will Sound and theNOW Ensemble. His band, Empyrean Atlas,released their first record in February 2013.Dan Dryden (PGE Sound Supervisor; Livesound mix, Koyaanisqatsi) has been a memberof the Philip Glass Ensemble since 1983.He has mixed performances of PGE concerts,The Photographer, Einstein on the Beach (1984,1993), Koyaanisqatsi (Live), Powaqqatsi (Live),La Belle et La Bête, Les Enfants Terribles andHydrogen Jukebox. He has also worked withLloyd Cole, Laurie Anderson, Ravi Shankar,the Raybeats and others. In the studio, he hasrecorded The Photographer, Satyagraha andMishima as well as the works of other artists.Dan has been the driving force in the preservationof the visionary environment The HealingMachines created from 1954–1986 by the lateartist/inventor Emery Blagdon in Nebraska.Stephen Erb (On-stage Audio Engineer)spans, and often combines, the worlds of musicand theatre. His work with the Philip GlassEnsemble includes the productions La Belleet la Bête, Monsters of Grace, Koyaanisqatsi,Powaqqatsi, Naqoyqatsi, Orion, and the Einsteinon the Beach concert at Carnegie Hall.He has acted as audio engineer for the PhilipGlass/Leonard Cohen piece Book of Longingand the Bang on a Can/Ridge Theatre’s TheCarbon Copy Building. In the theatre world heis credited with Broadway productions suchas Annie Get Your Gun, The Goodbye Girl andJane Eyre. Off-Broadway includes Marvin’sRoom and Sight Unseen. Theatrical tours includeHello Dolly (with Carol Channing), LesMiserables, proof, and most recently Doubt(with Cherry Jones). He spent six years asFor Tickets and More: sfperformances.org | 415.392.2545 | 3

Sound Master at the La Jolla Playhouse workingon such productions as the Ray Davies/Des McAnuff musical 80 Days, Peter Sellers’Ajax and the Nat and Cannonball Adderlymusical Shout Up A Morning. Stephen is honoredto continue to collaborate with the othermembers of The Philip Glass Ensemble.Jon Gibson (Woodwinds) is a composer,multi-wind instrumentalist and visual artistwho has been active in new music for over 40years. He has been a member of the Glass Ensemblesince it’s beginnings and has performedwith Glass in other configurations includingsolo/duet concerts featuring the music of bothGibson and Glass. He has performed in everyperformance of Einstein on the Beach. Gibson’sown output includes music for solo instruments,various ensembles, dance, music theater,video, film and opera. He has performedand collaborated with a host of musicians, choreographersand artists, including Merce Cunningham,Nancy Topf, Nina Winthrop, RalphGibson, Lucinda Childs, JoAnne Akalitis, HaroldBudd, David Behrman, LaMonte Young,Steve Reich, Elisabetta Vittoni and ThomasBuckner. Gibson’s music can be heard on theTzadik, Orange Mountain Music, New Tone,Point Music, New World, Lovely Music, EarRationaland Einstein Records labels.Marie Mascari (Soprano) has performed asSiamese Twin and Judy Garland in the LincolnCenter Festival’s American premiere ofPhilip Glass’ White Raven, as well as Monstersof Grace, which toured throughout the US andEurope extensively. Other Philip Glass performingtour credits include Koyaanisqatsi,Powaqqatsi, La Belle et La Bête, Shorts and AnimaMundi. Ms. Mascari delighted audiences asValetto and Fortuna in Opera Omnia’s Coronationof Poppea, Servilia in La Clemenza di Titoand Papagena in Die Zauberflföte with WolfTrap Opera Company, Nannetta in Falstaff, andAdele in Die Fledermaus. She performed therole of Lillian Russell in The Mother of Us Allwith Glimmerglass Opera, a part she also coveredfor New York City Opera. A MetropolitanOpera Regional finalist, Ms. Mascari receivedher Bachelors and Masters degrees from IndianaUniversity for Vocal Performance.Kurt Munkacsi (Original PGE Sound Design)Kurt Munkacsi has worked with Philip Glasssince 1972 as sound designer, engineer, musicproducer, and record executive. Designsinclude the Philip Glass Ensemble concerts,Music In Twelve Parts, Dracula, La Belle et LaBête, 1000 Airplanes On The Roof, HydrogenJukebox, Monsters Of Grace, Les Enfants Terribles.Produced Glass’ recordings for the Oscarnominatedscores to The Hours and Kundun,as well as Koyaanisqatsi, Dracula, Satyagraha,Songs From Liquid Days, The Truman Show, TheThin Blue Line. President of Glass’ record labelOrange Mountain Music.Nelson Padgett (Keyboards) An artistknown for both his insightful musicality andcharismatic performances, Nelson Padgettenjoys an important career whose activitiesrange from solo appearances with the Houstonand National Symphony Orchestras tocollaborations with artists such as violinistElmar Oliveira, the Mendelssohn String Quartet,and pianist Phillip Bush. He has performedthroughout the world with the Philip GlassEnsemble since 1988. His many competitionsuccesses include the Silver Medal from theWilliam Kapell International Competition anda Beethoven Fellowship from the American PianistsAssociation. His principal teachers wereLeon Fleisher at the Peabody Conservatory o fMusic and Clifton Matthews at the North CarolinaSchool of the Arts. A native of North Carolina,Mr. Padgett lives in New York City.Gregory Purnhagen (Baritone) enjoys aneclectic career that defines the word “crossover.”His long association with Philip Glassincludes La Belle et la Bete, Monsters of Grace,Galileo Galilei and the 1992 and current revivalsof Einstein on the Beach. He has sung asa soloist at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall,Weill Recital Hall and other New York venuesfor Musica Sacra, Voices of Ascension, SacredMusic in a Sacred Space. An award-winningcabaret artist, he has created several criticallyacclaimed shows, one of which moved to Off-Broadway (Babalu-cy! The Art of Desi Arnaz).His recording work includes Early Music, NewMusic, cast albums and guest vocals on Bjork’sCD, Medulla. His work in contemporary operahas included projects for Nick Brooke, YoavGal, Fred Ho and Michael Kowalski. He is alsothe musical director of the New Xavier CugatOrchestra, an ensemble that is preserving thegreat heritage of vintage Latin American Music.Mick Rossi (Keyboards) is a pianist, percussionist,composer and conductor—currentlyon tour with Philip Glass as both percussionistand keyboardist—known for his work in theNY Downtown scene. He has performed andrecorded with Alex Acuña, Steven Bernstein,Roger Daltry, Dave Douglas, Mark Dresser,Billy Drewes, Peter Erskine, Eric Friedlander,Vinny Golia, Eddie Gomez, Hall and Oates,Gerry Hemingway, The Mahavishnu Project,Randy Newman, Carly Simon, and Wadada LeoSmith, among others. Performances includethe Knitting Factory, Fringe, and Montreux jazzfestivals, WNYC’s New Sounds, NPR’s All ThingsConsidered, John Zorn’s The Stone, MetropolitanOpera, Brooklyn Philharmonic, MATA, AmericanBallet Theater, Jay Leno, and David Letterman.Recent films include The Vagina Monologues(HBO) and Standing In The Shadows OfMotown (Artisan). New recordings include TheyHave A Word For Everything (Knitting Factory),Nosferatu (Dreambox), Inside The Sphere (Cadence),New Math (ToneScience), the up-comingSongs From The Broken Land (OmniTone),and One Block From Planet Earth (OmniTone),which Down Beat gives “Four Stars” and AllAbout Jazz describes as “life relishing, [and] unpretentiouslyprofound.”Andrew Sterman (Woodwinds) is a flutist, saxophonist,clarinetist and composer, whom theNew York Times praised for “Beautiful and sensitiveplaying”, first appeared in some of the bestbig bands around; those of Buddy Rich, LouisBellson, Gil Evans, Toshiko Akiyoshi, and manyothers. Always a fan of great jazz singers, whilevery young he played with many of the all timemasters, including Sarah Vaughan, Frank Sinatra,Tony Bennett, Joe Williams, Mel Torme andAretha Franklin. Audiences have heard him withjazz masters including Freddie Hubbard, DizzyGillespie, Fred Hersch, Rashied Ali, WallaceRoney, Roland Hanna, and Ron Carter. Stermanhas been soloist with many New Music groups,including MATA, ISCM, Bang on a Can, AvianOrchestra, and the Eos Orchestra. Mr. Stermantours and records extensively with the PhilipGlass Ensemble, which he joined in 1991. He isfeatured on Glass’s 2003 CD, Philip Glass: Saxophone.Mr. Sterman’s new CD, Blue Canvas WithSpiral, a set of intimate and original jazz pieces,is meeting critical acclaim: “A sound as pure asmoonlight, a richness that turns into melodicromanticism…” Sterman has developed a deeplyintuitive and effective teaching method integratingancient breathing practices with modernwoodwind techniques. He frequently gives masterclasses and workshops on this increasinglypopular methodology, practiced by students,emerging musicians and established professionalsalike. Visit www.andrewsterman.com.Peter Stewart (Keyboards, Baritone) hastoured in many productions with Philip Glasssince the 1992 version of Einstein on the Beach,being featured in Monsters of Grace, White Raven,the Qatsi trilogy and many other works.He has premiered works by composers includingSir John Tavener, Gavin Bryars, Hans WernerHenze and Roberto Sierra, among others.He has recorded the baritone songs of LeeHoiby with the composer at the piano for CRIunder the title Continual Conversation with aSilent Man. He recently toured with Newband,4 | For Tickets and More: sfperformances.org | 415.392.2545

presenting the music of Harry Partch. He hassung with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, theCalgary Philharmonic and other orchestras inthe US and Canada. Peter is also active in earlymusic, singing regularly with Pomerium, theWaverly Consort, New York Collegium, thePhilharmonia Baroque Orchestra and the BaltimoreConsort. Peter is on the voice faculty ofMontclair State University, and lives in NewYork City with Maria de Lourdes Davila andtheir daughter Beatriz.Doug Witney (Production Manager) is ProductionManager and Lighting Supervisor for thePhilip Glass Ensemble and other PomegranateArts projects. Past positions include originatingProduction Director/Resident Lighting Designerfor the International Festival of Arts &Ideas in New Haven, Connecticut; ProductionDirector for Lorin Maazel’s Castleton Festivalin Virginia; Production Director for UniversalMusical Society in Ann Arbor, Michigan; ProductionManager/Resident Lighting Designerfor the SUNY Purchase Performing Arts Centerin New York; and Technical Coordinator/ResidentLighting Designer at Brooklyn Academyof Music. He has designed lighting and providedvarious technical and tour assistance,as well as class and seminar work, for MissouriRepertory Theatre (now Kansas City Rep),Virginia Stage Company, and Dartmouth College.Doug has also coordinated production onindustrial events for MasterCard, Philip Morris,Coca-Cola, American Express, Pfizer, and IBM.Jim Woodard (Road Manager) has been coordinatingthe touring logistics for Mr. Glass andhis ensemble since 1999. Prior to working withthe PGE Jim has served as a Company Managerfor American regional theatres such asLa Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, CA, the AllianceTheatre in Atlanta, GA and the AlaskaRepertory Theatre in Anchorage, AK. For mostof the 90’s Jim owned and operated a theatrein Branson, MO before coming to work for Mr.Glass’ producer, Pomegranate Arts. Startingin 2011, Jim is very proud to serve as GeneralManager of Mr. Glass’ new Arts Festival in BigSur, CA, The Days And Nights Festival.Institute for Regional Education (IRE) Sinceits inception in 1973, the Institute for RegionalEducation has been dedicated to promotingand providing information and resources tothe general public. Beginning with a majorpublic-interest advertising campaign in 1974(in conjunction with the New Mexico Chapterof the ACLU), the primary focus of the IRE hasbeen public media and outreach includingeverything from community-based video, topublic art and sculpture displays, to the creationand production of the feature films Koyaanisqatsi(1982), Powaqqatsi (1988), Naqoyqatsi(2002) and Visitors (2013) as well as theshort film Anima Mundi (1991), made for theWorldwide Fund for Nature as part of its BiologicalDiversity campaign. Another emphasishas been research, and research trainingfor non-profit and community-based groups,as well as for investigative and other journalists.A further focus has been the providingof technical assistance and support throughorganizational, administrative, and fund-raisingexpertise to nonprofit organizations togetherwith having served as advisors to foundationsand other donors on issues, potentialgrantees and managing philanthropic funds.Pomegranate Arts (Touring Producer), Foundedin 1998 by Linda Brumbach, PomegranateArts is an independent production companydedicated to the development of internationalcontemporary performing arts projects. Sinceits inception, Pomegranate Arts has conceived,produced, or represented projects byPhilip Glass, Laurie Anderson, London’s Improbable,Sankai Juku, Dan Zanes, and GoranBregovic. Special projects include Dracula:The Music And Film with Philip Glass and theKronos Quartet; the music theater work ShockheadedPeter; Brazilian vocalist Virginia Rodrigues;Drama Desk Award winning CharlieVictor Romeo; Healing The Divide, A Concertfor Peace and Reconciliation, presented byPhilip Glass and Richard Gere; and Hal Willner’sCame So Far For Beauty, An Evening OfLeonard Cohen Songs. Recent projects includethe first North American tour of Goran Bregovicand the remounting of Lucinda Childs’ 1979classic Dance. Pomegranate Arts is the exclusiveproducer and management for the 2012–13 revival of Robert Wilson, Philip Glass, andLucinda Childs’ masterpiece Einstein on theBeach recreated in celebration of Philip Glass’75th birthday in 2012.ManagementRoad ManagerJim WoodardProduction ManagerDoug WitneyPGE Sound Supervisor/Live Sound MixDan DrydenLive Sound MixDan BoraOn-stage Audio EngineerStephen ErbOriginal PGE Sound DesignKurt MunkacsiPress RepresentationSacks and Co.Philip Glass and the Philip Glass Ensemble’slive events are produced and booked by:Pomegranate Arts, info@pomarts.com.DirectorLinda BrumbachAssociate DirectorAlisa E. RegasGeneral ManagerKaleb KilkennyDirector of BookingJulia GlaweAssociate General ManagerLinsey BostwickOffice ManagerSusannah GruderPhilip Glass is managed and published by:Dunvagen Music Publishers Inc.www.dunvagen.cominfo@dunvagen.comFor more information on Philip Glass pleasevisit www.philipglass.comLa Belle et la Bête, An Opera by Philip Glass(1995) soundtrack album is available exclusivelyon Nonesuch Records.Program NotesThe opera/film presentation of La Belle et laBête began as the second part of my trilogy oftheater works based on the films of Jean Cocteau.In the first of the series, I used the scenariofrom the film Orphée as the basis for the librettoof a chamber opera. I didn’t use the imagery ofthe film, allowing the staging in operatic formto attempt a new visualization of the libretto.But in this case the opera, composed with thedialogue, is performed live in conjunction withthe projected film (with the original soundtrackeliminated entirely). This made the job of composingthe music much more complex sincethe words and the voices had to be synchronizedas closely as possible to the images onthe screen. The third part of the trilogy was adance/theater work based on the scenario ofthe film Les Enfants Terribles. In this way thetrilogy represents translation of film into thelive thearical forms of opera (Orphée), operaand film (La Belle et la Bête), and dance/theater(Les Enfants Terribles).To realize La Belle et la Bête as a live opera/filmevent has been a dauntingly complexproject and without prior experience workingwith live music and film, I would not have attemptedit at all. However, since the mid-80’s Ihave presented a variety of projects involvingFor Tickets and More: sfperformances.org | 415.392.2545 | 5

live music and film, working with music directorMichael Riesman, and sound designerKurt Munkacsi. Specifically, I am thinking ofthe films Koyaanisqatsi and Powaqqatsi aswell as the melodrama 1000 Airplanes on theRoof, (while not actually a film, it is based onfilm imagery and technology). This preoccupationwith film has grown out of my appreciationof film as one of the two new artforms (jazz being the second) born in the 20thCentury. In its first 100 years, the world of filmhas created a new kind of literature, one thatthe world of live music, experimental theater,dance, and even opera can draw on, just asin the past, historic novels, plays, and poemsbecome the basis of new music/theater works.For me Cocteau has always been an artistwhose work was central to the “modern” artmovement of the 20th Century. More than anyother artist of his time, he again and againaddressed questions of art, immortality andthe creative process, making them subjectsof his work. In his day, it seems that this wasnot well understood and, at times, he was notfully appreciated. He was even dismissed bysome critics of his work as a talented dilettantewho never finally settled on one mediumto express himself. And, in fact he workedsuccessfully as a novelist, playwright, artistand filmmaker. However, to me the focus ofthis work—the creative process itself—has alwaysbeen clear. And it was equally clear thathe was using thee various art forms to illuminatehis chosen subject from as many anglesas possible.As far as film is concerned, Orphée, LaBelle et la Bête, and an earlier Cocteau film,Blood of a Poet are all extremely thoughtfuland subtle reflections of the life of an artist.Of these three La Belle et la Bête is the mostopenly allegorical in style. Presented as asimple fairy tale, it soon became clear that thefilm has taken on a broader and deeper subject—thevery nature of the creative process.Once we begin to see the film in this way, itbecomes hard to see the journey of the Fatherto the Chateau itself in the opening momentsof the film as anything other than the journeyof the artist into his “unconscious.” The Chateauitself is then seen as the very site of thecreative process where, through an extraordinaryalchemy of the spirit, the ordinary worldof imagination takes flight (as seen quite literallyin the last moment of the film).Perhaps for this reason, La Belle et la Bêtehas always been for me the most compellingof Cocteau’s films. This work more than anyother, expresses the profundity of his thoughtsand the eloquence of his artistic vision.presentsKOYAANISQATSISunday, May 26, 2013, 7pmDavies Symphony HallDirected byGODFREY REGGIOPhotography byRON FRICKEPerformed byPHILIP GLASSand thePHILIP GLASS ENSEMBLEconducted by Michael RiesmanMusic Composed byPHILIP GLASSEdited byALTON WALPOLERON FRICKEPhilip Glass, Lisa Bielawa, David Crowell, Dan Dryden, Stephen Erb, Jon Gibson,Michael Riesman, Mick Rossi, Andrew StermanGuest Musicians: Nelson Padgett, Peter StewartMusic DirectorMICHAEL RIESMANSound Design byKURT MUNKACSIFilm Produced by IREProduction ManagementPOMEGRANATE ARTS, INC.Linda Brumbach, ProducerKoyaanisqatsi runs approximately 85 minutes and will be performedwithout intermission.This performance is made possible in part through the generous support ofThomas and Lily Beischer.—Philip Glass, 19946 | For Tickets and More: sfperformances.org | 415.392.2545

ARTIST PROFILESSan Francisco Performances is proud to welcomeback the Philip Glass Ensemble, whoperformed Koyaanisqatsi and Shorts in 2002,the Qatsi Film Trilogy in 2006 and the WestCoast premiere of Music in Twelve Parts in2009. Philip Glass joined the Ensemble ineach presentation, and in addition performedEtudes in 2004 on a Bang on a Can All-Starsprogram; performed his chamber works withWendy Sutter and Mick Rossi in 2007; andgave a recital of his solo piano works in 2011in conjunction with SF Performances’ presentationof DANCE, his landmark collaborationwith Lucinda Childs and Sol LeWitt. SF Performancesalso presented the Bay Area premiereof his violin concerto, American FourSeasons, by Robert McDuffie and the VeniceBaroque Orchestra in 2009.Artist BiographiesFor full artist biographies, please see page 36.Godfrey Reggio (Director, Koyaanisqatsi)is a pioneer of a film form that creates poeticimages of extraordinary emotive impact.Reggio is best known for the Qatsi Trilogy—essays of image and music, speechless narrationswhich question the world in which welive. Born in New Orleans in 1940, Reggio enteredthe Christian Brothers, a Roman CatholicPontifical Order, at age 14 and remainedas a monk until 1968. In 1963, he co-foundedYoung Citizens for Action, a community organizationof juvenile street gangs. Reggio cofoundedLa Clinica de la Gente and La Gente,a community organizing project in NorthernNew Mexico’s barrios. In 1972, he co-foundedthe Institute for Regional Education in SantaFe, a nonprofit organization focused on media,the arts, community organization andresearch. In collaboration with the New MexicoChapter of the American Civil LibertiesUnion, Reggio co-organized a multimediapublic interest campaign on the invasion ofprivacy and the use of technology to controlbehavior. Reggio’s collaboration on Koyaanisqatsiwith Ron Fricke (Director of Photography)and Philip Glass (Composer) gained aninternational audience, critical acclaim andlaunched the Qatsi Trilogy. Koyaanisqatsihas been played live over 200 times in venuesworldwide. Reggio’s collaborations withPhilip Glass, include: Koyaanisqatsi (1982),Powaqqatsi (1988), Naqoyqatsi (2002), AnimaMundi (1992), Evidence (1995). In 1993, Reggiowas invited by Luciano Benetton and OlivieroToscani to develop a new school “to smellthe future”—an enterprise of exploration andproduction in the arts, technology and massmedia. Called Fabrica—Futuro Presente, itopened in the middle of the ‘90s in Treviso,Italy. Reggio is currently on the faculty of theTelluride Film Festival as a resident curatorand presenter of films. Philip Glass, Jon Kaneand Reggio are now collaborating on a newfilm project, Visitors (2013).Program Notes“Since its premiere in 1983, Koyaanisqatsihas assumed the stature of a modern film classic.Godfrey and I worked over a period of threeyears assembling the image and music of Koyaanisqatsi.This is a collaboration of film andmusic that is unprecedented in its intensity.”—Philip Glass“Koyaanisqatsi is not so much about something,nor does it have a specific meaning orvalue. Koyaanisqatsi is, after all, an animatedobject, an object in moving time, the meaningof which is up to the viewer. Art has no intrinsicmeaning. This is its power, its mystery,and hence, its attraction. Art is free. It stimulatesthe viewer to insert their own meaning,their own value. So while I might have thisor that intention in creating this film, I realizefully that any meaning or value Koyaanisqatsimight have comes exclusively from thebeholder. The film’s role is to provoke, to raisequestions that only the audience can answer.This is the highest value of any work of art,not predetermined meaning, but meaninggleaned from the experience of the encounter.The encounter is my interest, not the meaning.If meaning is the point, then propagandaand advertising is the form. So in the sense ofart, the meaning of Koyaanisqatsi is whateveryou wish to make of it. This is its power.“—Godfrey ReggioFor Tickets and More: sfperformances.org | 415.392.2545 | 7