New Music

Walking into Paul Dresher’s studio, a casual observer might think it was a rehearsal space, an experimental sound lab, or an inventor’s workshop. It’s actually all those things, and Dresher, the award-winning composer, musician, instrument maker, and founder of the acclaimed Paul Dresher Ensemble, presides over each aspect with the eyes and ears of a Renaissance master.

Music in Twelve Parts, written in 1974, was a breakthrough work for Philip Glass, a giant summing-up of his style and musical explorations to that point. The Philip Glass Ensemble, with the composer on keyboards, comes to San Francisco for the first live West Coast performance of this four-hour landmark in late-20th century music.