At 90, Steve Reich Is Still Writing New Music

Steve Reich turned 90 on October 3, but age has not brought his creative work to a stop.

The American composer, whose career has spanned more than six decades, is marking the milestone while continuing to write new music and explore ideas he had never previously tried.

Reich’s latest composition, In All Your Ways, premiered at the Edinburgh International Festival in August ahead of his 90th birthday celebrations. The 18-minute instrumental work represents another step in a career built around rhythm, repetition and gradual musical change.

Speaking with Reuters from his home in New York, Reich explained that the new piece developed differently from much of his earlier work.

After writing more than half of the composition, he decided it was moving too quickly. Instead of leaving the structure unchanged, he inserted slower movements to give the music room to breathe.

For Reich, that was unusual. He said he had never previously approached a nearly completed piece in that way.

The experience also illustrates how he continues to challenge his own creative habits. Rather than simply repeating techniques that have worked in the past, Reich said he wanted to explore new ground.

His career has already had a lasting influence on contemporary music. His minimalist approach, often built around pulse and repetition, has influenced classical composers as well as artists in popular music, including David Bowie and Radiohead.

Yet Reich says he still experiences uncertainty and frustration during the creative process. He described having periods when ideas did not work and pieces were eventually discarded.

That willingness to throw away unfinished work remains part of his approach to composition.

Reich has also watched technology transform the way music is created. He began using MIDI in the 1980s and experimented with computer-generated musical mock-ups. He now views artificial intelligence as a powerful technology, although he says he has no use for AI in his own music.

Despite decades of experience, Reich’s approach remains centered on listening carefully to what a piece needs while he is creating it.

His 90th birthday is being marked with performances of his music in several countries. Further performances of In All Your Ways are scheduled in North America, including appearances at Carnegie Hall and other major venues.

For Reich, however, the milestone is less about looking backward than continuing to work.

At an age when many people would consider a long creative career complete, he is still writing, experimenting and looking for musical ideas he has not explored before.

His latest work is therefore not simply a celebration of nine decades of life. It is evidence that, for Reich, the process of creating something new is still very much underway.

Source: Reuters, October 3, 2026.