Things To Do
|
Newsletter
|
Fraylife+
|
Fraylife+
  • Play

    Play

    • A Beginner’s Guide to Soccer
    • You Spin Me Right Round: D.C. Roller Skating 101 in 2021
    • Leading the League: The WNBA’s Natasha Cloud on Breaking Barriers + Inspiring D.C.
    • Spring Has Sprung: 10 Ways To Get Outside in the DMV
    • Play Week Combines Games + Social Impact
    • High and Go Seek Illustration
    • O Captain, My Captain: Washington Spirit’s Andi Sullivan
  • Life

    Life

    • Local Entrepreneurs Infuse CBD into Wellness
    • 19 Entrepreneurs Shaping D.C.’s Cannabis + CBD Industries
    • Upcycling in D.C.: Transforming a Culture of Consumption
    • The Green Issue: Experts + Advocates Make Case for Cannabis Legalization + Decriminalization
    • The District Derp Story
    • Grassfed Media Champions Cannabis Clients
    • Nat Geo Explorer Gabrielle Corradino on Plankton, the Anacostia + Conservation
  • Eat

    Eat

    • The State of Takeout in the District
    • A New Twist on Food Delivery: MisenBox
    • Next-Level Home Dining Experiences in D.C.
    • Foxtrot Market Is Officially Open for Business in Georgetown
    • Food Rescue + Assistance Programs Fill the Gaps in a Pandemic Food System
    • Hungry Harvest Helps to End Food Insecurity
    • Notable Summer Bar + Restaurant Reopenings to Try this Spring
  • Drink

    Drink

    • Pandemic Drinking: Derek Brown Leads the Way to Low-ABV Future
    • D.C.’s St. Vincent Wine Creates Covid-Conscious Experience
    • A New Way to Binge: Sobriety Anchors Business + Being for Gigi Arandid
    • King’s Ransom + The Handover in Alexandria Celebrate a First Year Like No Other
    • Wines of the World Are Just Around the Corner
    • Open-Air Drinking + Cocktail Delivery Changes in the DMV
    • Denizens Brewing Co.’s Emily Bruno: Brewing Change for Community + Industry
  • Culture

    Culture

    • The Artistry Behind D.C.’s Cannabis Culture
    • The Best Movies of 2021…So Far
    • The Survival of the Brutalist: D.C.’s Complicated Concrete Legacy
    • Plain Sight: A Street-Front Revolution in Radical Arts Accessibility
    • A Touch of Danger in Shakespeare Theatre Company’s “Romeo & Juliet”
    • Artgence + Homme: Where There’s Art, There’s a Story to Share
    • 21 D.C. Makers + Curators to Follow
  • Music

    Music

    • Emma G Talks Wammie Nominations and the D.C. Music Community
    • J’Nai Bridges: A Modern Mezzo-Soprano in a Changing Opera Landscape
    • Punk Legends The Go-Go’s Talk Four Decades of Sisterhood, Resilience + Zero Fucks Given
    • Ellen Reid “Soundwalk:” Exploring the Sonic Landscape at Wolf Trap
    • SHAED Releases First Full-Length Album in a “High Dive” of Faith
    • Obama + Springsteen Present “Renegades”
    • Christian Douglas Uses His “Inside Voice” on Pandemic-Inspired Debut Album
  • Events

    Events

    • Play Week 4.17-4.25
    • Midnight at The Never Get 4.30-6.21
    • Cannabis City Panel Presented by BĀkT DC + District Fray
    • Browse Events
    • DC Polo Society Summer Sundays 5.9
    • National Cannabis Festival’s Dazed & Amused Drive-In Party
    • Vinyl + Vinyasa 4.30
  • Fraylife+

Fraylife+
DC Fray Brings the Fun to Pride on the Pier 2025
Free Friday Concerts Are Back at Fort Totten This Summer!
“22 Walks in DC That You Must Not Miss” Invites You to See the City Beyond the Monuments
Congrats to Our Spring 2025 Champion Teams!
Coming Off Their Close Friends Tour, joan Joins Bloc Party at The Anthem
Backstage at DelFest: Tim O’Brien and Jan Fabricius Reflect on Love and Creativity with Paper Flowers
Home » Articles » Music » Steve Reich and Ensemble Signal Transform, Resonate

Music

Photo: Stephanie Berger

Steve Reich and Ensemble Signal Transform, Resonate

Share:

October 20, 2017 @ 12:00am | Jamie McCrary

Steve Reich’s music is a kaleidoscope of moods. Each piece – similar in style, yet distinctive in expression – takes listeners on a winding journey through the human experience. His compositions are simultaneously uplifting and introspective – a rare balance that resonates to one’s core.

The Ensemble Signal’s October 18 concert at the Library of Congress, an all-Steve Reich program presented by Washington Performing Arts in celebration of his 80th birthday, gave audiences a taste for Reich’s musical prowess. Ensemble Signal presented a range of compositions, from the instrumentless Clapping Music to the expansive Double Sextet. Each piece was performed with passion and thoughtful attention, creating an environment that was both emotional and pensive.

“Steve Reich’s music is of the utmost craftsmanship, and reaches people on so many emotional levels,” says Brad Lubman, conductor of the Ensemble Signal. “There’s always a moment of joy and exultation in a piece, and a moment of pure poignancy.”

The Ensemble Signal, based out of New York City, is a new music ensemble that The New York Times describes as “practically guaranteeing quality performances.” The group performs contemporary music across the United States, with a particular focus on Reich’s compositions. Reich, who has a close relationship with Lubman and coartistic executive director Lauren Radnofsky, has collaborated regularly with the group since its founding in 2008.

“We’ve played 20 of Reich’s works, many of which we worked on with him directly,” Radnofsky says. “He’s been a huge part of what the ensemble has done over the past nine years.”

The program opened with Clapping Music, performed by Steve Reich himself, in tandem with Lubman. The short piece, timed at about three-and-a-half minutes, uses hands as instruments. The composition is a complex, rhythmic union, with one performer clapping a theme and the other gradually intermixing their own. Reich’s vibraphone and piano Quartet was next, followed by Runner, then Lubman’s personal favorite, Pulse. Lubman calls the piece “poetic” and “poignant,” noting that its wholly introspective mood is what sets it apart.

Pulse is indeed characterized by its quiet expression. Strings and woodwinds floated above a steadily strumming electric guitar – the music’s “pulse” – to create a constant feeling of movement. Different keys were explored, but always under the veil of a calm, gentle mood that invited listeners into the music. The performance supported Lubman’s goal of transformation. He hopes to profoundly affect audiences with every concert by offering a life-changing experience.

“I hope when people leave, they are transformed for the better,” he says.

And so does Steve Reich. His music stirs meaning and connection; compositions are written to move listeners – to invite them into a world that’s both welcoming and mysterious. This week’s performance struck this balance perfectly, inspiring feeling, thought and hunger for more.

“I liken Reich to Bach, Beethoven or Stravinsky,” Lubman says. “He’s absolutely on that level. Working with him over the years and seeing how his music affects audiences is an inspiration.”

Learn more about Steve Reich’s music here. To learn more about Ensemble Signal, visit here.

Share with friends

Share:

Related Articles

<h3>No Articles</h3>
COMPANY
About United Fray Team Hiring: Join Our Team!
GET INVOLVED
Become A Member Corporate Wellness Contact: Media Pitches + Advertising Inquiries
EXPLORE
Eat Drink Music Culture Life Play Events Calendar
OUR CITIES
Washington D.C. Jacksonville Phoenix United Fray
Sign Up

Get the best of D.C. delivered to your inbox with one of our weekly newsletters.

Sign Up

© 2025 District Fray – Making Fun Possible.