When I was about 16 I saw the Philip Glass Ensemble in Houston and it absolutely blew my world open. I had been playing the Cello in an orchestral setting since I was about 9 and attending concert's at Rice's Shepherd School with my parents since I could walk, but our orchestra didn't get much more adventurous than Danzon Cubano and the student work at Rice was mostly repertory standards (the performance students) or so out there that it never really clicked with me (the composers). The PGE concert came together in a way that changed my understanding of performance, of the value of live music, of what music could be; and it suddenly left me searching for (and finding) more than a lifetime of incredible music. I was actually there on a first date with a girl I had wanted to date for a while, but all I remembered even the next day was the music. I was locked into my seat the entire time, achieving some kind of otherworldly experience with the 3rd act of The Photographer. I'm not sure I said anything to my date for the rest of the night. I was still in it, and sorting out what exactly "it" was for a week. Thankfully she was a wonderful person and we remained friends, but I can honestly say that Glass has now impacted my life far more than she.
Allen Pierce
Sitting on the floor, back to the piano soundboard at the new Whitney Museum, listening to Conlon Nancarrow's piano rolls being played. Multisensory utopia.
The whole 2019 Big Ears Festival
Scott Pollard
I loved Claire Chase's playing Steve Reich's flute piece tonight! It was beautiful to listen to!
Laura Liben
Accompanying my mum to the opera aged 7. Don Giovanni. The moment the orchestra started playing I was in awe of the sound! Of course I fell asleep, it’s a long one, but the parts I heard where otherwordly and magical to me.
Juan Hacelas
First time I heard Turangalila, at San Francisco Symphony.
Brad Fox
Favorites are a bit of a constraint for me, but The Art Ensemble of Chicago's residency at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mi. in September of 1973 was a life changing musical experience for me.
Terrence Hamlin
Mon meilleur souvenir s'est déroulé à Nantes lors de la tournée de Meredith Monk pour Impermanence. Une claque!
Patrick Miqueu
bottles rolls off table and breaks in ross crean opera the great god pan
Patricia R McMillen
Steve Shick performing a solo concert in Perth, Western Australia. It was the first time I realised what it could be like to lose yourself in music - both as an audience member and as a performer.
Callum Moncrieff