Philip Glass Ensemble: ?Powaqqatsi: Life in Transformation?

The Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech will inaugurate the new performance hall with an icon of contemporary music, international themes and film imagery and young voices from our own community.  Through his operas, symphonies, compositions for his own ensemble and his wide-ranging collaborations with artists ranging from Twyla Tharp to Allen Ginsberg, Woody Allen to David Bowie, Philip Glass has had an extraordinary and unprecedented impact upon the musical and intellectual life of his times. “Powaqqatsi” is a celebration of the human-scale endeavor, craftsmanship, spirituality, labor and creativity that defines a culture. It is also a celebration of both the rareness and the universal drumbeat to which societies move. “Powaqqatsi,” says filmmaker Reggio, is not about what should or shouldn’t be. “It’s an impression, an examination of how life is changing.” It is about contrasting ways of life. The film is a record of cultural diversity and transformation, presented as an integrated human symphony—and with Philip Glass’ compelling score providing counterpart, its tribal rhythms are fused by a single magisterial theme.