One night only – on Tuesday, October 6, 2026 – Soundstreams presents the first show of their 44th season: Celebrating Steve Reich at 90, a major celebration of the iconic composer, performed by some of the world’s greatest interpreters of his music. Presented in collaboration with the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto at Koerner Hall.
New & legendary works by one of the most influential living composers
Steve Reich is one of the world’s most influential living composers, described by The New Yorker as “the most original musical thinker of our time.”
Soundstreams’ Celebrating Steve Reich at 90 includes the North American premiere performance of Reich’s In All Your Ways, a new work co-commissioned by Soundstreams and leading music organizations from around the world;* Music for 18 Musicians, considered one of Reich’s most iconic works; and a hybrid version of the legendary work Clapping Music that features an exclusive screening, with Reich performing the ostinato part on film and Russell Hartenberger performing the other part live in the auditorium. An idea from filmmaker Atom Egoyan, Soundstreams took a small team to Los Angeles in 2023 to film Reich, subsequently negotiating worldwide performing rights to the film.
The performance features: Gary Kulesha, conductor; Jeffrey Stonehouse, Stephen Tam, flutes; Noa Sarid, Astrid Nakamura, violins; Ronen Shifron, viola; Joanne Yesol Choi, cello; Gregory Oh, Stephanie Chua, Midori Koga, Wesley Shen, pianos; Xin Wang, Lindsay McIntyre, sopranos; Andrea Ludwig, mezzo-soprano; and Russell Hartenberger, Bob Becker, Aiyun Huang, Ryan Scott, Michelle Colton, Michael Murphy, percussion.
Celebrating a seven-decade career around the world
This year – across Europe, the UK, North America and Asia – leading ensembles, orchestras, presenters and cultural institutions, including Soundstreams, will honour Reich’s seven-decade career with performances spanning landmark early works to major compositions from his later years.
At the centre of the celebrations is In All Your Ways, an 18-minute work for large ensemble scored for Reich’s signature ensemble of double flutes and clarinets, mallet percussion, two pianos and string quartet. The new work received its world premiere at the Edinburgh International Festival on August 28, launching an international tour with performances in Amsterdam’s NTR ZaterdagMatinee series (September 19), Carnegie Hall (October 22), Cal Performances (October 24), the Barbican Centre (October 28), the Philharmonie de Paris (November 15) and with the Los Angeles Philharmonic (March 7).
The year also marks the 50th anniversary of Reich’s iconic Music for 18 Musicians, with major anniversary performances and immersive presentations highlighting the groundbreaking work’s enduring impact. Hartenberger and Becker premiered the work in 1976 as original members of the Steve Reich Ensemble.
* In All Your Ways was commissioned by Barbican Centre, Avex Classics International Inc., Cal Performances, UC Berkeley, Carnegie Hall, Philharmonie de Paris, Edinburgh International Festival, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Grafenegg Festival, Helsinki Festival, The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, NTR ZaterdagMatinee and Soundstreams. The Soundstreams co-commission is generously supported by Kristine Vikmanis, Denton Creighton and Helen Burstyn.
“Soundstreams has been privileged to have a long artistic and personal association with Steve, not only through frequent Toronto appearances when he was still travelling internationally, but through the legendary Toronto-based percussionists and members of Nexus, Russell Hartenberger and Bob Becker, both of whom have a career-long association with him as members of the Steve Reich Ensemble. Many of the other artists in this concert have appeared in all of Steve’s previous visits, guaranteeing an authenticity of interpretation to his music – old and new – that is simply incomparable.”
– Lawrence Cherney, Soundstreams Founding Artistic Director
About Soundstreams
Under the leadership of Founding Artistic Director Lawrence Cherney, Soundstreams began in 1982 with a tribute to Igor Stravinsky’s 100th birth year, an artist who fundamentally transformed the ways we hear our world. Since then, they’ve probed compelling Canadian themes and stories through new works in music and opera that resonate with our time and place, aiming to not only reflect upon those themes and stories but to inspire new perspectives and approaches to them. Their various Toronto-based concert series, educational and outreach events and professional development programs have showcased nearly 1,500 global creators and performers in collaboration with their Canadian counterparts. At the same time, their productions have toured North America, Latin America, Asia and Europe. In recent seasons, Soundstreams has received high praise from the international press: The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, The Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal.
(Photo credits: Soundstreams. Steve Reich. Photo by Jeffrey Herman.)
Event details
Presented by: Soundstreams, in collaboration with the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto
Type of event: classical music concert
Composed by: Steve Reich
Conducted by: Gary Kulesha
Performed by: Jeffrey Stonehouse & Stephen Tam (flutes); Noa Sarid & Astrid Nakamura (violins); Ronen Shifron (viola); Joanne Yesol Choi (cello); Gregory Oh, Stephanie Chua, Midori Koga & Wesley Shen (pianos); Xin Wang & Lindsay McIntyre (sopranos); Andrea Ludwig (mezzo-soprano); & Russell Hartenberger, Bob Becker, Aiyun Huang, Ryan Scott, Michelle Colton & Michael Murphy (percussion), with Steve Reich performing, on film
Performed works:
- In All Your Ways
- Music for 18 Musicians
- Clapping Music
Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2026
Start time: 7:30 PM ET
Duration: 2 hours (plus intermission)
Cost: C$44.00 – $108.00 (including fees & taxes)
Location: Koerner Hall, 273 Bloor St. W., Toronto, ON, M5S 1V6
Video: Watch videos of Steve Reich’s music, including Music for 18 Musicians.
Booking link: Book your tickets here
Contact details: Soundstreams, 20 St. Joseph St., Toronto, ON, M4Y 1J9, Canada; (416) 504-1282, info@soundstreams.ca, soundstreams.ca
Accessibility: Info here.