Question 1

True or false: Philip Glass worked as a plumber and taxi driver before achieving fame as a composer.

Accepted Answer

True. To support his early career, Glass drove a cab and installed plumbing to pay the bills.

Question 2

True or false: Glass's opera 'Einstein on the Beach' was his first to use a traditional orchestra.

Accepted Answer

False. It actually features a small ensemble and electronic keyboards, no traditional orchestra at all.

Question 3

True or false: Glass studied under Nadia Boulanger, the legendary composition teacher, in Paris.

Accepted Answer

True. He studied with Boulanger for two years, and she profoundly influenced his disciplined approach.

Question 4

True or false: Philip Glass's music was heavily inspired by Indian classical music and Ravi Shankar.

Accepted Answer

False. While he worked with Ravi Shankar, his minimalism was more directly influenced by his own repetitive patterns.

Question 5

True or false: Glass composed the score for the 2002 film 'The Hours', winning an Academy Award.

Accepted Answer

False. He was nominated for an Oscar but did not win; the score is still one of his most famous.

Question 6

True or false: Philip Glass collaborated with David Bowie on the album 'Low Symphony'.

Accepted Answer

True. Glass composed symphonies based on Bowie's 'Low' and 'Heroes' albums, blending classical and rock.

Question 7

True or false: Philip Glass is a Buddhist and has set Tibetan Buddhist texts to music.

Accepted Answer

True. A practicing Buddhist, his works like 'Kundun' and 'Satyagraha' reflect spiritual themes.

Question 8

True or false: Glass's opera 'Satyagraha' is about the life of Martin Luther King Jr.

Accepted Answer

False. It depicts Mahatma Gandhi's early nonviolent activism in South Africa, not MLK.

Philip Glass Trivia Questions