# Celebrating minimalist composer Steve Reich

An episode of [Fresh Air](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/214089682), 2 Oct 2026, 46 min.

Audio: https://prfx.byspotify.com/e/play.podtrac.com/npr-381444908/npr.simplecastaudio.com/49850946-31c1-4953-8129-0d718420c400/episodes/c341a626-96ed-4b30-937f-77bc2d7e049e/audio/128/default.mp3?awCollectionId=49850946-31c1-4953-8129-0d718420c400&awEpisodeId=c341a626-96ed-4b30-937f-77bc2d7e049e&feed=jBsBZBHh&t=podcast&e=nx-s1-5985082&p=381444908&d=2738&size=43821854

Often called one of the fathers of minimalist music, Reich created a vocabulary that has influenced nearly every form of music: Classical, electronic, jazz, and pop. To commemorate his 90th birthday, there are worldwide performances and festivals in his honor, including an upcoming concert at Carnegie Hall. Reich spoke with Terry Gross in 1989 and 1999. We’ll listen back to his compositions, and hear about the sounds that have influenced him – from the rhythms of speech, to African drumming, Jewish cantorial singing and the sound of trains. Also, Justin Chang reviews the documentary NAZA. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

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