The US composer, who celebrates his 90th birthday on 3 October, graduated from the New York conservatoire in 1961
US composer Steve Reich has become the latest recipient of the Juilliard President’s Medal. The 89-year-old received the honour on 22 September, at a special concert featuring performances of his work by Juilliard students. Reich also spoke with the students before the concert to share reflections on his life and work.
Reich, who graduated in composition from Juilliard in 1961 and received an honorary doctorate in 2009, received the medal from Juilliard president Damian Woetzel, who said: ‘You have transformed the possibilities of music itself, establishing a unique artistic language whose influence has reached far beyond concert halls. At Juilliard, your example has a special resonance. You’ve shown generations of young artists that originality can emerge from discipline and curiosity, that listening can itself be a form of discovery, and that among a composer’s deepest contributions can be changing the way others understand what music can be.’
Established in 2005, the Juilliard President’s Medal is bestowed on alumni of the school who have ‘made an indelible impact on the arts and served as significant role models at Juilliard and in the broader performing arts community’. Previous recipients have included Joel Korsnikc, cellist of the Juilliard Quartet; conductor Alan Gilbert; and composer John Williams.
Reich will celebrate his 90th birthday on 3 October. Tom mark the occasion, The Strad’s November 2026 issue will include a feature article about his works for strings, such as his three string quartets, Different Trains (1988), Triple Quartet (1998) and WTC 9/11 (2010), his Violin Phase (1967), Duet (1993) for two violins and string ensemble (dedicated to Yehudi Menuhin), and Cello Counterpoint (2003) for cello and recorded tape. Interviewees include violinists Darragh Morgan, Phillip Granell of the Phaedra Ensemble, and the Kronos Quartet’s David Harrington.
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